DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12665#0213
FALLING AMONG THIEVES.
197
holy sepulchre, and were now bending their steps
towards Bethlehem.
At every moment the approach was gaining in-
terest ; but in a few minutes, while yet about an
hour distant from the walls, my attention was di-
verted from the city by the sudden appearance of
our muleteer, who had left us the day before in a
pet, and gone on before us to Jerusalem. He was
sitting on the ground alone, so wan and wo-be-
gone, so changed from the spruce and well-dressed
muleteer who had accompanied us from Hebron,
that i scarcely recognised him. Every article of
his former dress was gone, from his gay turban to
his long boots ; and in their stead he dL played an
old yellow striped shawl, doing duty as a turban,
and a ragged Bedouin gown. Late in the after-
noon, while hurrying on to get in before the gates
should be closed, he was hailed by four Arabs ; and
when he attempted to escape by pushing his don-
key, he was brought to by a musket-ball passing
through the folds of his dress and grazing his side.
A hole in his coat, however, did not save it; and,
according to the Arab mode of robbery, they
stripped him to his skin, and left him stark naked
in the road. From his manner of telling the story,
I am inclined to think that the poor fellow had not
conducted himself very valiantly ; for though he
did not regard the scratch on his side, or the risk
he had run of his life, he mourned bitterly over the
loss of his garments. Arrived in the Holy Land,
I had thought danger of all kinds at an end ; and
197
holy sepulchre, and were now bending their steps
towards Bethlehem.
At every moment the approach was gaining in-
terest ; but in a few minutes, while yet about an
hour distant from the walls, my attention was di-
verted from the city by the sudden appearance of
our muleteer, who had left us the day before in a
pet, and gone on before us to Jerusalem. He was
sitting on the ground alone, so wan and wo-be-
gone, so changed from the spruce and well-dressed
muleteer who had accompanied us from Hebron,
that i scarcely recognised him. Every article of
his former dress was gone, from his gay turban to
his long boots ; and in their stead he dL played an
old yellow striped shawl, doing duty as a turban,
and a ragged Bedouin gown. Late in the after-
noon, while hurrying on to get in before the gates
should be closed, he was hailed by four Arabs ; and
when he attempted to escape by pushing his don-
key, he was brought to by a musket-ball passing
through the folds of his dress and grazing his side.
A hole in his coat, however, did not save it; and,
according to the Arab mode of robbery, they
stripped him to his skin, and left him stark naked
in the road. From his manner of telling the story,
I am inclined to think that the poor fellow had not
conducted himself very valiantly ; for though he
did not regard the scratch on his side, or the risk
he had run of his life, he mourned bitterly over the
loss of his garments. Arrived in the Holy Land,
I had thought danger of all kinds at an end ; and