BY ABRAHAM'S POOL, AND ELSEWHERE 271 CHAPTER XXI "GOD-SATISFIED AND EARTH-UNDONE" 287 CHAPTER XXII GIVEN BACK FROM THE DEAD 301 CHAPTER XXIII BETROTHAL 315 CHAPTER XXIV UNDER THE FLAG OF ENGLAND 323 CHAPTER XXV AT HOME 341 CHAPTER XXVI A SERMON 351 APPENDIX 367 Chapter I THE DARK RIVER "A thousand streams of lovelier flow Bathed his own native land." The Eastern sun was near its setting. Everywhere beneath its beams stretched out a vast, dreary campaign--pale yellowish brown--with low rolling hills, bare of vegetation. There was scarcely anything upon which the eye of man could rest with interest or satisfaction, except one little clump of plane trees, beside which a party of travellers had spread their tents. They had spent the day in repose, for they intended to spend the night in travelling; since, although summer was past and autumn had come, the heat was still great. The tent in the centre of the little encampment was occupied by an Englishman and his son, to whom all the rest were but guides, or servants, or guards. The Syrians, the Arabs, and the Turkish zaptiehs who filled these offices were resting from their labours, having tethered their horses under the trees. It was about time for them to be stirring now, to attend to the animals, to make the coffee, and to do other needful things in preparation for the journey. But they were used to wait for a signal from their master for the time being--Mr. Grayson, or Grayson Effendi, as they generally called him. Pending this, they saw no reason to shorten their repose, though a few of them sat up, yawned, and began to take out their tobacco pouches, and to employ themselves in making cigarettes. Presently, from the Effendi's own tent, a slight boyish form emerged, and trod softly through the rest. "Hohannes Effendi"--so the Turks and Arabs called him, as a kind of working equivalent for "Master John"--was a bright, fair-faced, blue-eyed English lad in his sixteenth year. He was dressed in a well-worn suit of white drill, and his head protected by a kind of helmet, with flaps to cover the cheeks and neck, since the glare reflected from the ground was almost as trying as the scorching heat above.