Page:The Celebrated Romance of the Stealing of the Mare.djvu/47

 I have been at pains to escape unperceived from my people and to them must I return." And Alia hearing, was moved to pity and she said, "Go then." And Zohwa went out of the tent and on a little way, but presently returned trembling as a ship trembles when it is struck by the wind, and she showed manifold signs of terror. And Alia asked her, "What aileth thee then??" And she answered, "O lady, I am overcome with lack of courage. And surely thou art responsible for me; but wilt thou not come with me a little way?" But Alia said, " Nay. For if I should go with thee, who afterwards should return with me? And see, the guards are sleeping, and my damsels every one of them. Nor am I too without danger of enemies who might do me a hurt, and, more than the rest, of that dog Sahel ibn Aaf." And Zohwa answered quickly, " Say not so, O lady. And how should Sahel hurt thee, or how should any other, seeing that thou art the daughter of the prince of our tribe, the greatest of the princes, whose fame is in all the valleys? And yet thou speakest thus, thou daughter of the generous? Nay, it is no far journey. Listen: between thy tents and ours are but ten furlongs, for the space hath been stepped by the trackers, and if thou wilt come but one-half the road thou canst then turn back and I will go forward, and the way will have been thus divided between us and each will have accompanied the other and fear shall have been outwitted." And Alia stopped at this agreement, for her wit failed her. And she arose and went with Zohwa out of the camp.