Page:The Northern Ḥeǧâz (1926).djvu/40

 joined also by the Mṭejr tribe. In the spring of 1906 Eben Rašîd undertook a great raid on this tribe, attacked several of its camps, and drove away a goodly number of its herds. But just at that time Prince Eben Saʻûd was resting with a large body of troops only about two hours’ journey from the encampments which had been attacked; and he set out in pursuit of ʻAbdalʻazîz eben Rašîd, who had started home with the booty. Overtaking his quarry, the pursuer ordered a small band to attack the raider and then to flee. The ruse was successful. Eben Rašîd, who began to pursue the attacking band, was waylaid by Eben Saʻûd, completely surrounded, and slaughtered with all his men. After their leader’s death domestic warfare arose between the members of Eben Rašîd’s tribes, and Eben Saʻûd took advantage of this to establish and extend his authority.

While Fawzân was telling me of these events we were proceeding along a slightly undulating plain covered with coarse sand of a dark gray color, where grass and perennials grew only upon a few patches of hollow ground. The grass was already parched, but the perennials were luxuriantly green. The watercourses are very broad and shallow and in places they almost disappear. At 8.10 A.M. we reached a large patch of low ground thickly covered with perennials; and from all sides the Ḥwêṭât raised a clamor, demanding that ʻAwde should encamp there. I was surprised at this, for the Rwala never would have dared to shout at Prince an-Nûri or to decide when and where he was to pitch his camp. In reply to the shouting, ʻAwde announced that he would encamp by the rain pond of Minwa’, so as to have water close at hand; but his Ḥwêṭât increased their din and, when he refused to come to a standstill, they urged their camels to kneel down, flung the tents to the ground, shouting to their chief that he could ride on as far as he liked, but that they would encamp there. At 8.20 ʻAwde also halted and the Ḥwêṭât made a new encampment.

ʻAwde came up behind me, sat down at my side, and we began to discuss the best way for me to reach the oasis of Tejma. But after a short while we were surrounded by about a hundred men and boys, who one after another asked all kinds of questions, threw my baggage and equipment into disorder,