Page:Domestic Life in Palestine.pdf/441

434 Shaayea — you must go to rest now! Peace be upon you!" He said, "Good-night, O my protectress!" I answered, "A hundred good-nights to you, O Shaayea!" He took off his red morocco slippers, and placed them carefully side by side on a ledge, and then crawled into his favorite nook between the cotton bales, and covered himself with his wadded quilt. I never saw poor Shaayea again! On the following morning, as soon as I opened my door, I called to the steward, and said, "How is Solomon this morning, steward?" He answered very sadly, "I don't know, Miss; he's missing." I said, "What do you mean, steward?" He replied, "Why, Miss, the captain has been looking every-where for him, and can't find him and he's in a dreadful way — he's looked in every hole and corner, Miss, except in your cabin!"

On fully realizing these startling words, I reëntered my cabin, which contained two berths. I had always used the lower one as a wardrobe, and I drew its little red curtains aside with a trembling hand, hoping intensely, and yet fearing, that I should find Shaayea there, but it was not so. The captain entered at this moment, looking very much agitated. He told me that he had searched every nook in which a cat could be hidden. He said that he had never lost man or boy, under any circumstances, on his ship, and he did not know what to do. I said, "Who saw Shaayea last?" On inquiry we found that one of the sailors, who had been aloft in the night, remembered to have seen Shaayea at about midnight, leaning against the ship's side, beyond the foremast. He thought it rather strange, for he had never seen Shaayea in that part of the ship before; but as he did not suspect any thing wrong, he took no further notice. No one else could give any tidings about him. I noticed that Shaayea's slippers were exactly where I had seen him place them on the previous night.

Every one looked sad and thoughtful. The general impression was that Shaayea had thrown himself overboard, but I told the captain that a Jew was not likely to commit