It seemed wisest to let him do one unaccustomed thing at a time.

I did not care to try to talk with any of his men, because that might possibly have been a breach of etiquette.
Arab jealousy is about as quick as fulminate of mercury: as unreasonable, from a western viewpoint, as a love-sick woman's.
But there did not seem any objection to talking with Ahmed.

He was at least in theory my co-religionist, and not a person any Moslem in that boat was likely to be jealous of.

He jumped at the notion of making friends with me.

He made no secret of the reason.
"You are safe, effendi.