THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 6ii
reeiiHybeers for me, or rather to join our companies to- gether, for theBifhareen were not to be truiled. Contrary to the denre of the chief of the Arabs, he took away the three Hybeers, to difappoint me ; he found them three mur- derers, and left me the only honeft man whom he did not know. God punilhed the prefumption and pride of which h,e was full, jull as this MouUah, who laft came in, and fits before you, appears to be."
The Aga then ailced me, if I faw him afterwards ? " You know, I fuppofe, the ftory. One of the three Hybeers went to Abou Bertran, a principal Shekh of the Bifhareen, and prepared a party to meet them on the road at the next fta- tion, while the other two Hybeers, their guides, took care to deceive him by lies, and carried him dirccTily upon the road where the plot was laid. About twenty men on camels, armed with lances, and as many young men on foot, with fwords, came to meet him, and thofe upon camels made their beafts kneel down at fome diftance from him, as out of refpe^t coming to kifs his hands, as of a holy perfon be- longing to the Caaba, their fancfluary at Mecca.
" The vain, imprudent man difmounted from his camel to give them a more eafy opportunity of paying him their refpe6ls, and wlien one of them held him by the hand in token of friendfliip, another cut him acrofs the hams with a broad-fword, and a third run him through the back with a lance. He endeavoured to put his hands to his pif- tols, but it was too late. They afterwards perfuaded his fer- vants, who had fire-arms in their hands, and, like fools, did not life them, to capitulate ; and, after they had difarmed them, they carried them afide and murdered them alfo, then
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