Shafts from an Eastern Quiver.
I.—THE DIAMONDS OF SHOMAR'S QUEEN.
By Charles J. Mansford, B.A.
I.
FANCY that Hassan has been drawing on his imagination again, old fellow," said my companion, Frank Denviers, as we sat conversing one evening at the door of our tent.
"Perhaps so," I responded, puffing away at a hookah; "he has his faults, like the rest of these Arabs. To appropriate everything that he can lay his brown paws on is, to him, a cardinal virtue; still, he hasn't told us anything untrue so far, why should he do so now?"
"You have far too much faith in that nigger," replied Frank; "he pitches yarns to us that no one could possibly believe. We certainly expected him to steal, and, so far, he has come well up to the standard we measured. him by. I own that his knowledge of the various ruins to which he has led us is decidedly good; no doubt this wonderful city that we are bound for does exist, but, as to the diamonds—don't you wish you may get them!" And he shouted to Hassan, who was a little distance off reclining under the shade of a palm tree—
"Coffee, and hurry about it too!" for the Arab was accustomed to take his time when disturbed from his siesta, although usually he was agile enough.
"Hassan."
Our Arab servant, or "nigger" as my companion sometimes termed him, had been engaged as a runner or letter carrier, until it chanced that we took him into our service on the recommendation of an Arab sheik. Frank Denviers and I, Harold Derwent, had been for some time wandering in Arabia, and already had been to most of the famous cities visited by Europeans. Previous to setting out on our present strange quest we had disguised ourselves as sheiks and secretly visited Mecca just as the haj, or annual pilgrimage, was commencing. For the whole time through which the fair lasted we found thousands of pilgrims who poured into Mecca from Persia, Arabia, Egypt, and Syria well worthy or observation, as they came to be blessed at the birthplace of Mahomet.
Hassan had been of great service to us in the sacred city, and his desire to continue with us probably induced him to tell us the legend of the "Diamonds of Sho-
