HAMET BASHAW LOSES HIS TEMPER
A courier from Derne met us here with news that Joseph's army was approaching Derne. This caused a panic among our Arabs, and even Hamet seemed to be in doubt as to whether it were wise to proceed. I was forming a rather low opinion of his bravery, but tried to lose such thoughts by thinking that if he were a hundred times less a man he would be better than his brother. Some of the camel drivers fled. We heard, too, that many of Hamet's followers were planning to turn back. General Eaton again stopped their rations and ordered that no food be served them until they marched forward. The general had a lion's heart and was a born leader. Obstacles like these only served to bring out his firm qualities.
The Sheik il Taiib was again the center of the revolt, since he had resolved to go no farther until news arrived that our vessels were awaiting us at Bomba. When General Eaton reproached him for his want of courage and fidelity, he flew into a rage and put himself at the head of such Arabs as would follow him, which was about half of our force, and started back to Egypt. Hamet begged General Eaton to send an officer to pacify him and persuade him to return, but the General refused.
"We have paid him for his services," he declared, "and we have a right to expect that he be faithful to his pledge; I will not permit him to dictate measures to us!"
"But he may take part against us," pleaded frightened Hamet.
"Let him do it," the general answered, "I like an open enemy better than a treacherous friend!"
We continued our march. Messengers then arrived from the rebellious sheik, assuring us that he was really on his way back to Egypt.
The general sent word back to him: "I will take vigorous steps for the recovery of the cash and property you have drawn from me by fraud!"
In a few hours a new messenger arrived with the information that the Sheik il Taiib would join us if we halted to await his coming.
At last his caravan hove in sight.
"You see," he said to the general, to mask his defeat, "what influence I have among these people!"
"Yes," returned the general, "and I see also the disgraceful use you make of it!"
On the next day, the sheik having been quieted for a time, Hamet himself again showed signs of turning back. Separating his Moslem party from us, he took from our officers the horses he had loaned us for the passage through the desert. When General Eaton reproached him for his indecision and lack of perseverance, high words followed. We marched on; Hamet turned back, but after two hours had passed he rejoined us, complimented the general on his firmness, and said that he had been forced to pretend that he was falling in with the wishes of his people, so that he might in the end manage them.
The next day brought the same daily measure of trouble. Several sheiks quarreled with Sheik il Taiib over the distribution of the money that Hamet had paid them, and had quitted camp. We could not proceed without them because they exercised a powerful influence over the Arab tribes near Derne, whose support we were counting on. Hamet rode after them to persuade them to be loyal to us, and in his absence Sheik il Taiib took the stage again, demanding that the general issue more rations.
"Remember," he said threateningly, "You are in a desert, and a country not your own! I am a greater man here than you or the Bashaw!"
The general retorted: "I have found you at the head of every commotion which has happened since we left Alexandria. You are the cause of the present trouble among the chiefs. Leave my tent! But mark: if I find a mutiny in the camp I will put you to death as the man who produced it."
The sheik left the tent and rode away with other chiefs. A few hours later, however, he returned and swore that he was devoted to the general; that some secret enemy had told lies about him; that he would even abandon the Bashaw to follow us; and hoped that at Derne he would have the opportunity to show that he was a man.
Our next halt came when some of the Arab chiefs insisted on riding off to an oasis called Seewauk for a supply of dates. They promised to rejoin our party at Bomba. We halted to discuss the matter.
While this matter was being debated we visited an Arab camp nearby. We found that the young men and women, although copper-colored, were handsome and well-formed. The women did not veil, and were modest and bashful in their deportment. The general complimented the wife of the chief on her beauty. She smiled and said there were more beautiful women in camp than herself and brought in a group of girls to prove it. But the general gallantly held to his first opinion.
Our soldiers were fond of dates, and to secure them from the girls they gave as payment the buttons on their uniforms, which the women strung as ornaments about their necks.
We were fortunate enough to see a marriage in the Arab camp. Two camels bearing canopies resembling wagon tops covered with Smyrna carpeting, passed along, to the noise of volleys of muskets. The bride and groom rode separately in these canopies, attended by elderly women, adult unmarried girls, and by mounted Arabs.
The women chanted a savage kind of song; the men performed daring feats of horsemanship, and young men and girls danced between the camels. In this manner they circled their tents and our encampment. Then the camel carrying the bride was driven seven times around a tent that had been assigned to her. The animal was then made to kneel, the door of the canopy was opened, and the bride was pitched headfirst into the tent, where her women companions were reciting a benediction.
We were told that presents were expected. We gave a little money to an old Arab woman who had taken the leading part in the celebration, supposing her to be the mother of the bride. The general also invited an Arab of about fifty-five years to his tent to receive an extra present of provisions. Upon questioning the Arab as to the ages of the bride and groom, we learned that he himself was the groom; that the bride was a girl of thirteen years; and that the woman we had supposed to be her mother was another wife of the groom.