Turkish saddle comes in contact that does not become more or less
macerated. I have sat in one for days, but I left it a flayed man;
and, therefore, I was sorry for Smith.

I explained this to him, taking hold of his leg by the calf to show
how the leather would chafe him; but it seemed to me that he did not
quite like my interference. "Never mind," said he, twitching his
leg away, "I have ridden in this way before."

"Then you must have suffered the very mischief?"

"Only a little, and I shall be used to it now. You will not hear me
complain."

"By heavens, you might have heard me complain a mile off when I came
to the end of a journey I once took. I roared like a bull when I
began to cool. Joseph, could you not get a European saddle for Mr.
Smith?" But Joseph did not seem to like Mr. Smith, and declared
such a thing to be impossible. No European in Jerusalem would think
of lending so precious an article, except to a very dear friend.
Joseph himself was on an English saddle, and I made up my mind that
after the first stage, we would bribe him to make an exchange. And
then we started.

The Bedouins were not with us, but we were to meet them, as I have
said before, outside St. Stephen's gate. "And if they are not
there," said Joseph, "we shall be sure to come across them on the
road."

"Not there!" said I. "How about the consul's tariff, if they don't