第48章

It was market morning, and the market-square as Israel passed through was a busy and noisy place.The grocers squatted within their narrow wooden boxes turned on their sides, one half of the lid propped up as a shelter from the sun, the other half hung down as a counter, whereon lay raisins and figs, and melons and dates.On the unpaved ground the bakers crouched in irregular lines.They were women enveloped in monstrous straw hats, with big round cakes of bread exposed for sale on rush mats at their feet.Under arcades of dried leaves--made, like desert graves, of upright poles and dry branches thrown across--the butchers lay at their ease, flicking the flies from their discoloured meat."Buy! buy! buy!" they all shouted together.

A dense throng of the poor passed between them in torn jellabs and soiled turbans, and haggled and bought.Asses and mules crushed through amid shouts of "Arrah!" "Arrah!" and "Balak!" "Ba-lak!"It was a lively scene, with more than enough of bustle and swearing and vociferation.

There was more than enough of lying and cheating also, both practised with subtle and half-conscious humour.Inside a booth for the sale of sugar in loaf and sack a man sat fingering a rosary and mumbling prayers for penance."God forgive me," he muttered, "_God forgive me, God forgive me,_" and at every repetition he passed a bead.

A customer approached, touched a sugar loaf and asked, "How much?"The merchant continued his prayers and did his business at a breath.

"(_God forgive me_) How much? (_God forgive me_) Four pesetas (_God forgive me_)," and round went the restless rosary.

"Too much," said the buyer; "I'll give three." The merchant went on with his prayers, and answered, "(_God forgive me_) Couldn't take it for as much as you might put in your tooth (_God forgive me_);gave four myself (_God forgive me_)." "Then I'll leave it, old sweet-tooth," said the buyer, as he moved away."Here! take it for nothing (_God forgive me_)," cried the merchant after the retreating figure."(_God forgive me_) I'm giving it away (_God forgive me_); I'll starve, but no matter (_God forgive me_), you are my brother (_God forgive me, God forgive me, God forgive me_)."Israel bought the bread and the meat, the raisins and the figs which the prisoners needed--enough for the present and for many days to come.Then he hired six mules with burdas to bear the food to Shawan, and a man two days to lead them.Also he hired mules for himself and Ali, for he knew full well that, unless with his own eyes he saw the followers of Absalam receive what he had bought, no chance was there, in these days of famine, that it would ever reach them.And, all being ready for his short journey, he set out in the middle of the day, when the sun was highest, hoping that the town would then be at rest, and thinking to escape observation.

His expectation was so far justified that the market-place, when he came to it again, with his little caravan going before him, was silent and deserted.But, coming into the walled lane to the Bab Toot, the gate at which the Shawan road enters, he encountered a great throng and a strange procession.

It was a procession of penance and petition, asking God to wipe out the plague of locusts that was destroying the land and eating up the bread of its children.A venerable Jew, with long white beard, walked side by side with a Moor of great stature, enshrouded in the folds of his snow-white haik.These were the chief Rabbi of the Jews and the Imam of the Muslims, and behind them other Jews and Moors walked abreast in the burning sun.All were barefooted, and such as were Berbers were bareheaded also.

"In the name of Allah, the Compassionate and Merciful!" the Imam cried, and the Muslims echoed him.

"By the God of Jacob!" the Rabbi prayed, and the Jews repeated the words after him.

"Spare us! Spare the land!" they all cried together."Send rain to destroy the eggs of the locust!" cried the Rabbi."Else will they rise on the ground in the sunshine like rice on the granary floor;and neither fire nor river nor the army of the Sultan will stop them;and we ourselves will die, and our children with us!"And the Jews cried, "God of Jacob, be our refuge."And the Muslims shouted, "Allah, save us!"It was a strange sight to look upon in that land of intolerance--the haughty Moor and the despised Jew, with all petty hatreds sunk out of sight and forgotten in the grip of the death that threatened both alike, walking and praying in the public streets together.