Several times he came upon parties of men whom he passed with the salute, and who scarcely raised their eyes as he trotted by them.

The plain was an open one, and though cultivated here and there, there were large tracts lying unworked.

There was no occasion therefore to keep to the road; so riding across country, and avoiding the villages as far as possible, stopping only at a stream to give his camel water, Cuthbert rode without ceasing until nightfall.

Then he halted his camel near a wood, turned it in to feed on the young foliage, and wrapping himself in his burnous was soon asleep, for he ached from head to foot with the jolting motion which had now been continued for so many hours without an interval.

He had little fear of being overtaken by the party he had left behind; they would, he was convinced, be many hours behind, and it was extremely improbable that they would hit upon the exact line which he had followed, so that even if they succeeded in coming up to him, they would probably pass him a few miles either to the right or left.
So fatigued was he with his long journey, that the next day he slept until after the sun had risen.