"The day the Targui took me off we found some in that pass." They arrived
at the well.
"Go down into the well," said the Soufi.
"I'm only a woman. I'm afraid. Go down thyself." He goes down. He draws the
water. She drinks. He draws more water for the camel, which is drinking,
when she pours the water on the ground.
"Why dost thou turn out the water?"
"I did not turn it out; thy camel drank it." And nevertheless she casts her
glances and sees a dust in the distance. The Targui is coming. The woman
says:
"Now I have trapped him for thee."
"Brava!" he cries, and addressing the Soufi: "Draw me some water that I may
drink." He draws the water, and the Targui drinks. The woman says to him:
"Kill him in the well. He is a good shot. Thou art not stronger than he
is."
"No," he answered, "I do not want to soil a well of the tribes. I'll make
him come up." The Soufi comes up till his shoulders appear. They seize him,
hoist and bind him, and tie his feet together. Then they seize and kill his
camel.
"Bring wood," says the Targui to the woman; "we'll roast some meat." She
brings him some wood. He cooked the meat and ate it, while she roasted
pieces of fat till they dripped upon her cousin.
"Don't do that," says the Targui.
She says, "He drew his sword on me, crying, 'Come with me or I will kill
thee.'"
"In that case do as you like." She dropped the grease upon his breast,
face, and neck until his skin was burnt. While she was doing this, the
Targui felt sleep coming upon him, and said to the woman, "Watch over him,
lest he should slip out of our hands."
While he slept the Soufi speaks: "Word of goodness, O excellent woman, bend
over me that I may kiss thy mouth or else thy cheek." She says: "God make
thy tent empty. Thou'lt die soon, and thou thinkest of kisses?"
"Truly I am going to die, and I die for thee. I love thee more than the
whole world. Let me kiss thee once. I'll have a moment of joy, and then
I'll die." She bends over him, and he kisses her.