SIALTS FROM

tor us to change our position as soon as possible--1t 1s too unprotected at present.” The man lying upon the cushions now dragged his weary body to our feet as he faltered out, brokenly —-

“ Allah reward the Englishmen, for Darak, the outcast, can never do so.” Hassan attended to his wants, and when the fugitive had recovered himself somewhat we endeavoured to learn from him the cause of his sceking refuge with us. It was some tine, h()\\uc before we could understand him at all, for he spoke a kind of hybrid Pushto, a language of which we had little knowledge. Hassan, however, acted as inter- preter, and through him we learnt that the man had ventured into Ghuznt i spite of the fact that he had been prohibited from entering an Alghan town, and thus he had aroused the frieree fanaticism of his nation. He had scen our tent from the overhanging town, and had fled to us, this being his sole opportunity of escaping his foes.

After passing through the plain of Khorassan, where we had met with our strange experience i the tomb of On, we spent - several davs both at Meshed and Nishapoor: for we found that these beautiful Persian eities had not been over-estimated by our somewhat imaginative guide. Thence, after a long journey, we had passed into Afghanistan, and having stayed for some time at IHerat, a city which interested us considerably, w c]mnnuul along the beautiful river valley almost as far as Kabul; then turning southward, found oursclves encamped outside Ghuzni, where our present adventure was taking place.

Hassan, who knew the district well, sugeested that we should strike the tent and (‘hmb the mountam which rosc to our left, as it scemed probable that we could defend ourselves there, 1f pursued. This, too, was Denviers” opinion, before expressed, while the Afghan added some words in support of it, and accordingly we did so. After we had journeved up the slope of the mountain for a considerable time; the Afghan led the way, and conducted us by a narrow path which wound between two mountains, At last we halted, and, feeling that we were now sceure, Denviers summoned Hassan to his side and bade him endeavour to get the Afchan to narrate to us the reason of his extled fate.

The man was at first disinclined to do so, but eventually gave way, and, sheltering our- sclves under a projecting rock from the 1 ravs of the sun, we listened to his narrative, which Hassan turned into his own mode of expres-

AN LASTERN QUIIER. ey

ston as he mterpreted it. From time o time

we looked wondergly at him expecially s

he neared the Lonclusmn of the story, for so strange 1t scemed to us that we more than

once thought Hassan was cibellishing it with some ideas of his own.

Our Arab guide, however, scemicd 0 he surprised himself as the story procecded, and occastonally interrupted the Afvhan o ask some scarching question, which alwavs appearced to us to be answered satisfactorily, o judge from Hassan's countenance. Forbide hn to hold mtercourse with any of his own nation, the Afghan eventually scemed glad of the opportunity to converse with Ilassan, for there was much in common hetween them, since both the Afghan and the Arab were Sunnccs, and felt thc influence of the common bond which united them.

1e contrast between the wrave, ild features of our guide and the ficree look upon the face of the Afghan, which oIl the dangers through which he had passed could not subdue, scemed to add o the offeetive- ness of the scene before us, and, watching them as they sat opposite o cach other, I felt almost sorry when the navrative was concluded, Ha.s.san, as well as he could, made the account continuous, while: Denvicrs and I, rechining in the Tittle group which the party unitedly nmdc Listened to the ollowing interpretation,

I "Wty yonder city of Ghuad stands A palace, the roof whercof s beaten gold and, mlaid with many a gem, pillars of ivory support it Upon its walls are cngraven the deeds of the mighty Mahmaud, whtt time

he overthrew the haughty monarch upon whose banners were emblazoned the 1ion

and the Sun. Before its sculptured porticoes fountains throw high their ervstal waters, and cool the burning \\mds that Dlow over the parched lTands lie bevond the Helmund and the shimmering waters of Istida,

“Yet I, Darak, prince of this palace and Its treasures, was unhappy, since never for me had love shone in the cyes of an Afghan maiden, and; save for the countless slves who came obedient to my call; my home was desolate. So, Teaving it in charge of one of the Saduzar race, Toset forth to visit strange lands and to find a bride fitting (o share with me the mheritance which had come to me through the long line from which T sprang.

SV andering in Eastern lands T came at last to Egypt, and even to Camo, the city of mosques and minarets, for my cves woulid fain behold the spot where the sacred head

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