THE ADVENTURES OF THE LADY PEKUAH
"At what time and in what manner I was forced away," said Pekuah, "your
servants have told you. The suddenness of the event struck me with
surprise, and I was at first rather stupefied than agitated with any
passion of either fear or sorrow. My confusion was increased by the
speed and tumult of our flight, while we were followed by the Turks,
who, as it seemed, soon despaired to overtake us, or were afraid of
those whom they made a show of menacing.
"When the Arabs saw themselves out of danger, they slackened their
course; and as I was less harassed by external violence, I began to feel
more uneasiness in my mind. After some time, we stopped near a spring
shaded with trees in a pleasant meadow, where we were set upon the
ground, and offered such refreshments as our masters were partaking. I
was suffered to sit with my maids apart from the rest, and none
attempted to comfort or insult us. Here I first began to feel the full
weight of my misery. The girls sat weeping in silence, and from time to
time looked on me for succour. I knew not to what condition we were
doomed, nor could conjecture where would be the place of our captivity,
or whence to draw any hope of deliverance. I was in the hands of
robbers and savages, and had no reason to suppose that their pity was
more than their justice, or that they would forbear the gratification of
any ardour of desire, or caprice of cruelty. I, however, kissed my
maids, and endeavoured to pacify them by remarking that we were yet
treated with decency, and that, since we were now carried beyond
pursuit, there was no danger of violence to our lives.
"When we were to be set again on horseback, my maids clung round me, and
refused to be parted; but I commanded them not to irritate those who had
us in their power. We travelled the remaining part of the day through an
unfrequented and pathless country, and came by moonlight to the side of
a hill, where the rest of the troop were stationed. Their tents were
pitched and their fires kindled, and our chief was welcomed as a man
much beloved by his dependants.
"We were received into a large tent, where we found women who had
attended their husbands in the expedition. They set before us the supper
which they had provided, and I ate rather to encourage my maids, than to
comply with any appetite of my own. When the meat was taken away, they
spread the carpets for repose. I was weary, and hoped to find in sleep
that remission of distress which nature seldom denies. Ordering myself
therefore to be undressed, I observed that the women looked very
earnestly upon me, not expecting, I suppose, to see me so submissively
attended. When my upper vest was taken off, they were apparently struck
with the splendour of my clothes, and one of them timorously laid her
hand upon the embroidery. She then went out, and in a short time came
back with another woman, who seemed to be of higher rank and greater
authority. She did, at her entrance, the usual act of reverence, and
taking me by the hand, placed me in a smaller tent, spread with finer
carpets, where I spent the night quietly with my maids.
"In the morning, as I was sitting on the grass, the chief of the troop
came towards me. I rose up to receive him, and he bowed with great
respect. 'Illustrious lady,' said he, 'my fortune is better than I had
presumed to hope: I am told by my women that I have a princess in my
camp.' 'Sir,' answered I, 'your women have deceived themselves and you;
I am not a princess, but an unhappy stranger, who intended soon to have
left this country, in which I am now to be imprisoned for ever.'
'Whoever or whencesoever you are,' returned the Arab, 'your dress, and
that of your servants, show your rank to be high and your wealth to be
great. Why should you, who can so easily procure your ransom, think
yourself in danger of perpetual captivity? The purpose of my incursions
is to increase my riches, or, more properly, to gather tribute. The sons
of Ishmael are the natural and hereditary lords of this part of the
continent, which is usurped by late invaders and low-born tyrants, from
whom we are compelled to take by the sword what is denied to justice.
The violence of war admits no distinction; the lance that is lifted at
guilt and power will sometimes fall on innocence and gentleness.'
"'How little,' said I, 'did I expect that yesterday it should have
fallen upon me!'
"'Misfortunes,' answered the Arab, 'should always be expected. If the
eye of hostility could learn reverence or pity, excellence like yours
had been exempt from injury. But the angels of affliction spread their
toils alike for the virtuous and the wicked, for the mighty and the
mean. Do not be disconsolate: I am not one of the lawless and cruel
rovers of the desert; I know the rules of civil life; I will fix your
ransom, give a passport to your messenger, and perform my stipulation
with nice punctuality.'
"You will easily believe that I was pleased with his courtesy: and
finding that his predominant passion was desire of money, I began now to
think my danger less, for I knew that no sum would be thought too great
for the release of Pekuah. I told him that he should have no reason to
charge me with ingratitude, if I was used with kindness, and that any
ransom which could be expected for a maid of common rank would be paid;
but that he must not persist to rate me as a princess. He said he would
consider what he should demand, and then smiling, bowed and retired.
"Soon after, the women came about me, each contending to be more
officious than the other, and my maids themselves were served with
reverence. We travelled onward by short journeys. On the fourth day, the
chief told me that my ransom must be two hundred ounces of gold; which I
not only promised him, but told him that I would add fifty more, if I
and my maids were honourably treated.
"I never knew the power of gold before. From that time I was the leader
of the troop. The march of every day was longer or shorter as I
commanded, and the tents were pitched where I chose to rest. We now had
camels and other conveniences for travel; my own women were always at
my side; and I amused myself with observing the manners of the vagrant
nations, and with viewing remains of ancient edifices, with which these
deserted countries appear to have been, in some distant age, lavishly
embellished.
"The chief of the band was a man far from illiterate: he was able to
travel by the stars or the compass, and had marked, in his erratic
expeditions, such places as are most worthy the notice of a passenger.
He observed to me, that buildings are always best preserved in places
little frequented and difficult of access: for, when once a country
declines from its primitive splendour, the more inhabitants are left,
the quicker ruin will be made. Walls supply stones more easily than
quarries, and palaces and temples will be demolished, to make stables of
granite and cottages of porphyry."