第23章

Isaidnothing。Thedisplaywasexactlyaccordingtotheguide—book，andwerewenottravelingbytheguide—book？IselectedacertainhorsebecauseIthoughtIsawhimshy，andIthoughtthatahorsethathadspiritenoughtoshywasnottobedespised。

At6o\'clockP。M。，wecametoahalthereonthebreezysummitofashapelymountainoverlookingthesea，andthehandsomevalleywheredweltsomeofthoseenterprisingPhoeniciansofancienttimeswereadsomuchabout;allaroundusarewhatwereoncethedominionsofHiram，KingofTyre，whofurnishedtimberfromthecedarsoftheseLebanonhillstobuildportionsofEingSolomon\'sTemplewith。

Shortlyaftersix，ourpacktrainarrived。Ihadnotseenitbefore，andagoodrightIhadtobeastonished。Wehadnineteenservingmenandtwenty—sixpackmules！Itwasaperfectcaravan。Itlookedlikeone，too，asitwoundamongtherocks。Iwonderedwhatintheverymischiefwewantedwithsuchavastturn—outasthat，foreightmen。Iwonderedawhile，butsoonIbegantolongforatinplate，andsomebaconandbeans。Ihadcampedoutmanyandmanyatimebefore，andknewjustwhatwascoming。Iwentoff，withoutwaitingforservingmen，andunsaddledmyhorse，andwashedsuchportionsofhisribsandhisspineasprojectedthroughhishide，andwhenIcameback，beholdfivestatelycircustentswereup——tentsthatwerebrilliant，within，withblue，andgold，andcrimson，andallmannerofsplendidadornment！Iwasspeechless。Thentheybroughteightlittleironbedsteads，andsetthemupinthetents;theyputasoftmattressandpillowsandgoodblanketsandtwosnow—whitesheetsoneachbed。Next，theyriggedatableaboutthecentre—pole，andonitplacedpewterpitchers，basins，soap，andthewhitestoftowels——onesetforeachman;theypointedtopocketsinthetent，andsaidwecouldputoursmalltriflesinthemforconvenience，andifweneededpinsorsuchthings，theywerestickingeverywhere。Thencamethefinishingtouch——theyspreadcarpetsonthefloor！Isimplysaid，"Ifyoucallthiscampingout，allright——butitisn\'tthestyleIamusedto;mylittlebaggagethatIbroughtalongisatadiscount。"

Itgrewdark，andtheyputcandlesonthetables——candlessetinbright，new，brazencandlesticks。Andsoonthebell——agenuine，simon—purebell——

rang，andwewereinvitedto"thesaloon。"Ihadthoughtbeforethatwehadatentorsotoomany，butnowherewasone，atleast，providedfor;

itwastobeusedfornothingbutaneating—saloon。Liketheothers，itwashighenoughforafamilyofgiraffestolivein，andwasveryhandsomeandcleanandbright—coloredwithin。Itwasagemofaplace。Atableforeight，andeightcanvaschairs;atable—clothandnapkinswhosewhitenessandwhosefinenesslaughedtoscornthethingswewereusedtointhegreatexcursionsteamer;knivesandforks，soup—plates，dinner—plates——everything，inthehandsomestkindofstyle。Itwaswonderful！Andtheycallthiscampingout。Thosestatelyfellowsinbaggytrowsersandturbanedfezzesbroughtinadinnerwhichconsistedofroastmutton，roastchicken，roastgoose，potatoes，bread，tea，pudding，apples，anddeliciousgrapes;

theviandswerebettercookedthananywehadeatenforweeks，andthetablemadeafinerappearance，withitslargeGermansilvercandlesticksandotherfinery，thananytablewehadsatdowntoforagoodwhile，andyetthatpolitedragoman，Abraham，camebowinginandapologizingforthewholeaffair，onaccountoftheunavoidableconfusionofgettingunderwayforaverylongtrip，andpromisingtodoagreatdealbetterinfuture！

Itismidnight，now，andwebreakcampatsixinthemorning。

Theycallthiscampingout。AtthisrateitisagloriousprivilegetobeapilgrimtotheHolyLand。

Chapter42

WearecampednearTemnin—el—Foka——anamewhichtheboyshavesimplifiedagooddeal，forthesakeofconvenienceinspelling。TheycallitJacksonville。Itsoundsalittlestrangely，hereintheValleyofLebanon，butithasthemeritofbeingeasiertorememberthantheArabicname。"COMELIKESPIRITS，SODEPART。""Thenightshallbefilledwithmusic，AndthecaresthatinfestthedayShallfoldtheirtentsliketheArabs，Andassilentlystealaway。"

Isleptverysoundlylastnight，yetwhenthedragoman\'sbellrangathalf—pastfivethismorningandthecrywentabroadof"Tenminutestodressforbreakfast！"Iheardboth。Itsurprisedme，becauseIhavenotheardthebreakfastgongintheshipforamonth，andwheneverwehavehadoccasiontofireasaluteatdaylight，Ihaveonlyfounditoutinthecourseofconversationafterward。However，campingout，eventhoughitbeinagorgeoustent，makesonefreshandlivelyinthemorning——especiallyiftheairyouarebreathingisthecool，freshairofthemountains。

Iwasdressedwithinthetenminutes，andcameout。Thesaloontenthadbeenstrippedofitssides，andhadnothingleftbutitsroof;sowhenwesatdowntotablewecouldlookoutoveranoblepanoramaofmountain，seaandhazyvalley。Andsittingthus，thesunroseslowlyupandsuffusedthepicturewithaworldofrichcoloring。

Hotmuttonchops，friedchicken，omelettes，friedpotatoesandcoffee——allexcellent。Thiswasthebilloffare。Itwassaucedwithasavageappetitepurchasedbyhardridingthedaybefore，andrefreshingsleepinapureatmosphere。AsIcalledforasecondcupofcoffee，Iglancedovermyshoulder，andbeholdourwhitevillagewasgone——thesplendidtentshadvanishedlikemagic！ItwaswonderfulhowquicklythoseArabshad"foldedtheirtents;"anditwaswonderful，also，howquicklytheyhadgatheredthethousandoddsandendsofthecamptogetheranddisappearedwiththem。

Byhalf—pastsixwewereunderway，andalltheSyrianworldseemedtobeunderwayalso。Theroadwasfilledwithmuletrainsandlongprocessionsofcamels。Thisremindsmethatwehavebeentryingforsometimetothinkwhatacamellookslike，andnowwehavemadeitout。Whenheisdownonallhisknees，flatonhisbreasttoreceivehisload，helookssomethinglikeagooseswimming;andwhenheisuprighthelookslikeanostrichwithanextrasetoflegs。Camelsarenotbeautiful，andtheirlongunderlipgivesthemanexceedingly"gallus"*expression。Theyhaveimmense，flat，forkedcushionsoffeet，thatmakeatrackinthedustlikeapiewithaslicecutoutofit。Theyarenotparticularabouttheirdiet。Theywouldeatatombstoneiftheycouldbiteit。Athistlegrowsaboutherewhichhasneedlesonitthatwouldpiercethroughleather，Ithink;ifonetouchesyou，youcanfindreliefinnothingbutprofanity。Thecamelseatthese。Theyshowbytheiractionsthattheyenjoythem。Isupposeitwouldbearealtreattoacameltohaveakegofnailsforsupper。*Excusetheslang——nootherwordwilldescribeit。WhileIamspeakingofanimals，IwillmentionthatIhaveahorsenowbythenameof"Jericho。"Heisamare。Ihaveseenremarkablehorsesbefore，butnonesoremarkableasthis。Iwantedahorsethatcouldshy，andthisonefillsthebill。Ihadanideathatshyingindicatedspirit。IfIwascorrect，Ihavegotthemostspiritedhorseonearth。Heshiesateverythinghecomesacross，withtheutmostimpartiality。Heappearstohaveamortaldreadoftelegraphpoles，especially;anditisfortunatethattheseareonbothsidesoftheroad，becauseasitisnow，Ineverfallofftwiceinsuccessiononthesameside。IfIfellonthesamesidealways，itwouldgettobemonotonousafterawhile。Thiscreaturehasscaredateverythinghehasseento—day，exceptahaystack。Hewalkeduptothatwithanintrepidityandarecklessnessthatwereastonishing。Anditwouldfillanyonewithadmirationtoseehowhepreserveshisself—possessioninthepresenceofabarleysack。Thisdare—devilbraverywillbethedeathofthishorsesomeday。

Heisnotparticularlyfast，butIthinkhewillgetmethroughtheHolyLand。Hehasonlyonefault。Histailhasbeenchoppedofforelsehehassatdownonittoohard，sometimeorother，andhehastofighttheflieswithhisheels。Thisisallverywell，butwhenhetriestokickaflyoffthetopofhisheadwithhishindfoot，itistoomuchvariety。

Heisgoingtogethimselfintotroublethatwaysomeday。Hereachesaroundandbitesmylegstoo。Idonotcareparticularlyaboutthat，onlyIdonotliketoseeahorsetoosociable。

Ithinktheownerofthisprizehadawrongopinionabouthim。Hehadanideathathewasoneofthosefiery，untamedsteeds，butheisnotofthatcharacter。IknowtheArabhadthisidea，becausewhenhebroughtthehorseoutforinspectioninBeirout，hekeptjerkingatthebridleandshoutinginArabic，"Ho！willyou？Doyouwanttorunaway，youferociousbeast，andbreakyourneck？"whenallthetimethehorsewasnotdoinganythingintheworld，andonlylookedlikehewantedtoleanupagainstsomethingandthink。Wheneverheisnotshyingatthings，orreachingafterafly，hewantstodothatyet。Howitwouldsurprisehisownertoknowthis。

Wehavebeeninahistoricalsectionofcountryallday。AtnoonwecampedthreehoursandtookluncheonatMekseh，nearthejunctionoftheLebanonMountainsandtheJebelelKuneiyiseh，andlookeddownintotheimmense，level，garden—likeValleyofLebanon。To—nightwearecampingnearthesamevalley，andhaveaverywidesweepofitinview。Wecanseethelong，whale—backedridgeofMountHermonprojectingabovetheeasternhills。The"dewsofHermon"arefallinguponusnow，andthetentsarealmostsoakedwiththem。

Overthewayfromus，andhigherupthevalley，wecandiscern，throughtheglasses，thefaintoutlinesofthewonderfulruinsofBaalbec，thesupposedBaal—GadofScripture。Joshua，andanotherperson，werethetwospieswhoweresentintothislandofCanaanbythechildrenofIsraeltoreportuponitscharacter——Imeantheywerethespieswhoreportedfavorably。

Theytookbackwiththemsomespecimensofthegrapesofthiscountry，andinthechildren\'spicture—bookstheyarealwaysrepresentedasbearingonemonstrousbunchswungtoapolebetweenthem，arespectableloadforapack—train。TheSunday—schoolbooksexaggerateditalittle。Thegrapesaremostexcellenttothisday，butthebunchesarenotaslargeasthoseinthepictures。IwassurprisedandhurtwhenIsawthem，becausethosecolossalbunchesofgrapeswereoneofmymostcherishedjuveniletraditions。

Joshuareportedfavorably，andthechildrenofIsraeljourneyedon，withMos