"As I said concerning our people, the Hebrews, who thought God had chosen them to disseminate His love and care over this world, became bigoted through priesthood and set up a cry that they were retainers instead of disseminators. This caused a breach between us and the Gentiles, who made war with us; but our tribe, the Rechabites, held aloof, enjoying our nomad life until Babylonia, spurred on by Syria, began preparations for that world-wide foraging tour toward Canaan. Then our tribe, fearful of an onslaught, held council and decided to take shelter within the walls of Jerusalem, and did so until Jehoiakim, through Jeremiah, attempted to get us drunk, when we again held council and decided to throw ourselves upon the mercy of the Babylonian King, who in turn permitted us to assemble at Tadmor, exempt from army service. "Tadmor now became our home, and upon the brow of the mountain which overlooks the city we excavated a broad and deep channel in the rock, around a center on which we built a wonderful castle, the crown to the gem of the desert, Tadmor. In its sacred archives were kept all the manuscripts of our tribe. Since we abandoned it I have heard they still call it by our family name, 'The Castle of the Rechabs.' "Recently we have heard that some kind of documents or manuscripts are still in keeping by a descendant of our clan, so my people have deputized me to go on this journey." "If it would be agreeable to you, Mr. Jona, I would like that we group our sub-caravans for the journey." "Thanks for your hospitality, but for reasons previously expressed we will tent separately. You and I will ride side by side, that I may enjoy the influence of your inspiring thoughts; but, really, you would not enjoy the company of the woman, who you could neither see or understand." "Why in the d----l, Jona, do you not let them throw off those masks, just for this journey, and allow the sweet sunshine, which the flowers on the desert are permitted to enjoy, be experienced by your wives, whom, by your barbarous custom, you place in dark coffins before they die?" "Oh, Mr. Richardson, I understand you all right, but my people would not. Please do not mention that subject again. Now please attend to the details of your wants for our journey with the Persian caravan, which is now arriving, for we must be ready for the forward movement, which will take place in about four days." Not willing to let up on the subject, I continued: "Do your women ever find fault with the way you treat them?" "Yes, all women are dissatisfied." "They are not. Our women at home are the sunshine of our lives." "Please do not talk any more on that subject," he said as he wiped the sweat from his neck with his flowing sleeve. Many were the peculiar incidents in our caravan of over fifteen hundred souls on our long journey of twenty-nine days up the Euphrates and over the desert, all of which I must pass over, noticing only Jona and his group as they appeared on the desert.