"And by the greatest oath, the honor of thy women?"
"Yea, Frank, by the honor of my women! But thou and thine, too, have covenants to keep."
Old Bara Miyan bent shaggy white brows at the Master, and peered out intently from under the hood of his burnous. The Master queried:
"What covenants, great Olema?"
"These: That no harm shall befall Myzab and the Great Pearl Star and the Black Stone, before thou and thine fly away to the Lands of the Books. Then, that no blood of our people shall be shed in El Barr, either the city of Jannati Shahr or the plain. These things thou must understand, O Frank. If harm befall the sacred relics, or blood be shed, then the salt will depart from my stomach, and we will be kiman,[1] and the thar[2] will be between thine and mine. I have spoken!"
[Footnote 1: Kiman, of hostile tribes.]
[Footnote 2: Thar, the terrible blood-feud of the Arabs.]
The Master nodded.
"These things be very clear to my heart," he answered. "They shall be treasured in my memory."
"It is well. Now speak we of the gifts."