Syria from the saddle . at my face to make sure of eachdetail. One point greatly puzzled him. I was de-scribed on the tezhere as clean-shaven, while, as he com-plained to David, I had a full beard. The possibilitythat the beard might have grown since I left Americanever entered his mind. At length we half-appeasedhim and he took his leave, still looking back now andthen suspiciously at the camp. Our new acquisition, the dog, earned his board bybarking outside of my tent most of the night, and thengrowling at me when I came out in the morning. Heevidently had high, if undiscriminating, ideas of
Syria from the saddle . at my face to make sure of eachdetail. One point greatly puzzled him. I was de-scribed on the tezhere as clean-shaven, while, as he com-plained to David, I had a full beard. The possibilitythat the beard might have grown since I left Americanever entered his mind. At length we half-appeasedhim and he took his leave, still looking back now andthen suspiciously at the camp. Our new acquisition, the dog, earned his board bybarking outside of my tent most of the night, and thengrowling at me when I came out in the morning. Heevidently had high, if undiscriminating, ideas of hisduty as guard. SYBIA FROM THE SADDLE. 183 Two mounted soldiers followed us through the town,next day, and saw us well on our road. David thoughtthat they were still in doubt as to our characters andintentions and wanted to make sure that we meant noharm to their city. Through all my travels this wasthe only place where I met with the least espionage orincivility from officials. CHAPTER XX. JENIN SAMARIA — S we rode along the narrow riverbeyond Jenin we came upon anodd structure that at first sightlooked like an Indian single vine had grown or hadbeen twined into the exact shapeof a small tent, the broad, close-growing leaves forming perfectshelter alike from sun and fromrain. An opening had beentrimmed out near the ground, fora doorway. We see a good many of thesevine-huts in Syria, said David as we went on. Theygrow from a single root and make good houses for poorpeople, besides giving them fruit. What sort of fruit ? Gourds. This was undoubtedly the kind of gourdthat served Jonah for a house, and that was killed by aworm at the root. Most foreigners think that Jonahsgourd was a tree, and that he lived under the shade. We passed a large modern village and rode for anhour through the olive orchards that lie around it. Theolives were ripe and bands of children with long poles 184 SYRIA FROM THE SADDLE. 185 and baskets gathered them. The Syrian olives are
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