ABSTRACT
After a couple of years Zahra became marriageable, and Salman, who was then about twenty, proposed marriage, told her that he had £10 saved up for this purpose, and arranged secretly with her that when they next drew their monthly pay from their employer they should both escape to his family in the Nile Valley and get married. Pay-day came; they pocketed their money and quietly disappeared, intending to cover the thirty miles to the canal on foot. Their disappearance was not noticed until the evening, when the alarm was raised, and immediately Salem arranged to head them off, as he wanted to deal with his recalcitrant shepherd. Accordingly he summoned his men to chase the fugitives, but was delayed by finding that all his camels were out in the desert for grazing. However, he eventually managed to round up two of his camels, and borrowed three camels from a man of another tribe called Eleyan, who had come over for the day to see him on business. Salem himself, accompanied by other members of his family, then set off in pursuit, but after going a few miles one of the borrowed camels shewed signs of fatigue, and further delay was caused. After wasting more precious time with the tired camel it was sent back to its owner.
