day's march; that we were pressing on to Gaza, in hope to be able to communicate with our families, from whom we had been long separated. He listened with evident regret, and still pressed us gently but earnestly, when suddenly it dawned upon us that there was a reason for this extraordinary urgency. It appeared that he was the mudir of the tribe through which we had passed the day before, and was anxious to efface from our minds the impression of the little "unpleasantness" which had marred our passage through his territory. This occurrence touched him not merely in his honor and the honor of his people, but in another way. By the Eastern law, he was responsible for his tribe, as the father of a family for his household. If a crime is committed, and the offender cannot be found or brought to justice, the chief of the tribe may be held responsible. But if he could have beguiled us to his tent — if we had once broken bread and eaten salt with him — that would have condoned the offence, and we should have been estopped from seeking other reparation. When we discovered this, Dr. Post took a different tone. Though still polite, he gave the mudir to understand very plainly that we had suffered a great outrage in passing through his territory, which ought to be punished; that we did not wish to be hard upon him, if he would produce the real offender; that, in short, if he would restore the money which had been extorted from our dragoman, and the sword which had been taken from our old soldier, and more than all, bring the black ruffian, who was the leader in the attack, to Gaza, and deliver him up to the authorities, we would take no further measures; otherwise we should be obliged to report the matter to the Governor immediately on our arrival This was just what he feared, and he tried to deprecate our anger. He pleaded that the man might have escaped, and the sword be hidden so that
