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Ben…Hur：　　A　Tale　of　the　Christ

by　Lew　Wallace





to　THE　WIFE　OF　MY　YOUTH　who　still　abides　with　me




BOOK　FIRST




CHAPTER　I



The　Jebel　es　Zubleh　is　a　mountain　fifty　miles　and　more　in　length；　and　so　narrow　that　its　tracery　on　the　map　gives　it　a　likeness　to　a　caterpillar　crawling　from　the　south　to　the　north。　Standing　on　its　red…and…white　cliffs；　and　looking　off　under　the　path　of　the　rising　sun；　one　sees　only　the　Desert　of　Arabia；　where　the　east　winds；　so　hateful　to　vinegrowers　of　Jericho；　have　kept　their　playgrounds　since　the　beginning。　Its　feet　are　well　covered　by　sands　tossed　from　the　Euphrates；　there　to　lie；　for　the　mountain　is　a　wall　to　the　pasture…lands　of　Moab　and　Ammon　on　the　westlands　which　else　had　been　of　the　desert　a　part。

The　Arab　has　impressed　his　language　upon　everything　south　and　east　of　Judea；　so；　in　his　tongue；　the　old　Jebel　is　the　parent　of　numberless　wadies　which；　intersecting　the　Roman　roadnow　a　dim　suggestion　of　what　once　it　was；　a　dusty　path　for　Syrian　pilgrims　to　and　from　Meccarun　their　furrows；　deepening　as　they　go；　to　pass　the　torrents　of　the　rainy　season　into　the　Jordan；　or　their　last　receptacle；　the　Dead　Sea。　Out　of　one　of　these　wadiesor；　more　particularly；　out　of　that　one　which　rises　at　the　extreme　end　of　the　Jebel；　and；　extending　east　of　north；　becomes　at　length　the　bed　of　the　Jabbok　Rivera　traveller　passed；　going　to　the　table…lands　of　the　desert。　To　this　person　the　attention　of　the　reader　is　first　besought。

Judged　by　his　appearance；　he　was　quite　forty…five　years　old。　His　beard；　once　of　the　deepest　black；　flowing　broadly　over　his　breast；　was　streaked　with　white。　His　face　was　brown　as　a　parched　coffee…berry；　and　so　hidden　by　a　red　kufiyeh　（as　the　kerchief　of　the　head　is　at　this　day　called　by　the　children　of　the　desert）　as　to　be　but　in　part　visible。　Now　and　then　he　raised　his　eyes；　and　they　were　large　and　dark。　He　was　clad　in　the　flowing　garments　so　universal　in　the　East；　but　their　style　may　not　be　described　more　particularly；　for　he　sat　under　a　miniature　tent；　and　rode　a　great　white　dromedary。

It　may　be　doubted　if　the　people　of　the　West　ever　overcome　the　impression　made　upon　them　by　the　first　view　of　a　camel　equipped　and　loaded　for　the　desert。　Custom；　so　fatal　to　other　novelties；　affects　this　feeling　but　little。　At　the　end　of　long　journeys　with　caravans；　after　years　of　residence　with　the　Bedawin；　the　Western…born；　wherever　they　may　be；　will　stop　and　wait　the　passing　of　the　stately　brute。　The　charm　is　not　in　the　figure；　which　not　even　love　can　make　beautiful；　nor　in　the　movement；　the　noiseless　stepping；　or　the　broad　careen。　As　is　the　kindness　of　the　sea　to　a　ship；　so　that　of　the　desert　to　its　creature。　It　clothes　him　with　all　its　mysteries；　in　such　manner；　too；　that　while　we　are　looking　at　him　we　are　thinking　of　them：　therein　is　the　wonder。　The　animal　which　now　came　out　of　the　wady　might　well　have　claimed　the　customary　homage。　Its　color　and　height；　its　breadth　of　foot；　its　bulk　of　body；　not　fat；　but　overlaid　with　muscle；　its　long；　slender　neck；　of　swanlike　curvature；　the　head；　wide　between　the　eyes；　and　tapering　to　a　muzzle　which　a　lady's　bracelet　might　have　almost　clasped；　its　motion；　step　long　and　elastic；　tread　sure　and　soundlessall　certified　its　Syrian　blood；　old　as　the　days　of　Cyrus；　and　absolutely　priceless。　There　was　the　usual　bridle；　covering　the　forehead　with　scarlet　fringe；　and　garnishing　the　throat　with　pendent　brazen　chains；　each　ending　with　a　tinkling　silver　bell；　but　to　the　bridle　there　was　neither　rein　for　the　rider　nor　strap　for　a　driver。　The　furniture　perched　on　the　back　was　an　invention　which　with　any　other　people　than　of　the　East　would　have　made　the　inventor　renowned。　It　consisted　of　two　wooden　boxes；　scarce　four　feet　in　length；　balanced　so　that　one　hung　at　each　side；　the　inner　space；　softly　lined　and　carpeted；　was　arranged　to　allow　the　master　to　sit　or　lie　half　reclined；　over　it　all　was　stretched　a　green　awning。　Broad　back　and　breast　straps；　and　girths；　secured　with　countless　knots　and　ties；　held　the　device　in　place。　In　such　manner　the　ingenious　sons　of　Cush　had　contrived　to　make　comfortable　the　sunburnt　ways　of　the　wilderness；　along　which　lay　their　duty　as　often　as　their　pleasure。

When　the　dromedary　lifted　itself　out　of　the　last　break　of　the　wady；　the　traveller　had　passed　the　boundary　of　El　Belka；　the　ancient　Ammon。　It　was　morning…time。　Before　him　was　the　sun；　half　curtained　in　fleecy　mist；　before　him　also　spread　the　desert；　not　the　realm　of　drifting　sands；　which　was　farther　on；　but　the　region　where　the　herbage　began　to　dwarf；　where　the　surface　is　strewn　with　boulders　of　granite；　and　gray　and　brown　stones；　interspersed　with　languishing　acacias　and　tufts　of　camel…grass。　The　oak；　bramble；　and　arbutus　lay　behind；　as　if　they　had　come　to　a　line；　looked　over　into　the　well…less　waste　and　crouched　with　fear。

And　now　there　was　an　end　of　path　or　road。　More　than　ever　the　camel　seemed　insensibly　driven；　it　lengthened　and　quickened　its　pace；　its　head　pointed　straight　towards　the　horizon；　through　the　wide　nostrils　it　drank　the　wind　in　great　draughts。　The　litter　swayed；　and　rose　and　fell　like　a　boat　in　the　waves。　Dried　leaves　in　occasional　beds　rustled　underfoot。　Sometimes　a　perfume　like　absinthe　sweetened　all　the　air。　Lark　and　chat　and　rock…swallow　leaped　to　wing；　and　white　partridges　ran　whistling　and　clucking　out　of　the　way。　More　rarely　a　fox　or　a　hyena　quickened　his　gallop；　to　study　the　intruders　at　a　safe　distance。　Off　to　the　right　rose　the　hills　of　the　Jebel；　the　pearl…gray　veil　resting　upon　them　changing　momentarily　into　a　purple　which　the　sun　would　make　matchless　a　little　later。　Over　their　highest　peaks　a　vulture　sailed　on　broad　wings　into　widening　circles。　But　of　all　these　things　the　tenant　under　the　green　tent　saw　nothing；　or；　at　least；　made　no　sign　of　recognition。　His　eyes　were　fixed　and　dreamy。　The　going　of　the　man；　like　that　of　the　animal；　was　as　one　being　led。

For　two　hours　the　dromedary　swung　forward；　keeping　the　trot　steadily　and　the　line　due　east。　In　that　time　the　traveller　never　changed　his　position；　nor　looked　to　the　right　or　left。　On　the　desert；　distance　is　not　measured　by　miles　or　leagues；　but　by　the　saat；　or　hour；　and　the　manzil；　or　halt：　three　and　a　half　leagues　fill　the　former；　fifteen　or　twenty…five　the　latter；　but　they　are　the　rates　for　the　common　camel。　A　carrier　of　the　genuine　Syrian　stock　can　make　three　leagues　easily。　At　full　speed　he　overtakes　the　ordinary　winds。　As　one　of　the　results　of　the　rapid　advance；　the　face　of　the　landscape　underwent　a　change。　The　Jebel　stretched　along　the　western　horizon；　like　a　pale…blue　ribbon。　A　tell；　or　hummock　of　clay　and　cemented　sand；　arose　here　and　there。　Now　and　then　basaltic　stones　lifted　their　round　crowns；　outposts　of　the　mountain　against　the　forces　of　the　plain；　all　else；　however；　was　sand；　sometimes　smooth　as　the　beaten　beach；　then　heaped　in　rolling　ridges；　here　chopped　waves；　there　long　swells。　So；　too；　the　condition　of　the　atmosphere　changed。　The　sun；　high　risen；　had　drunk　his　fill　of　dew　and　mist；　and　warmed　the　breeze　that　kissed　the　wanderer　under　the　awning；　far　and　near　he　was　tinting　the　earth　with　faint　milk…whiteness；　and　shimmering　all　the　sky。

Two　hours　more　passed　without　rest　or　deviation　from　the　course。　Vegetation　entirely　ceased。　The　sand；　so　crusted　on　the　surface　that　it　broke　into　rattling　flakes　at　every　step；　held　undisputed　sway。　The　Jebel　was　out　of　view；　and　there　was　no　landmark　visible。　The　shadow　that　before　followed　had　now　shifted　to　the　north；　and　was　keeping　even　race　with　the　objects　which　cast　it；　and　as　there　was　no　sign　of　halting；　the　conduct　of　the　traveller　became　each　moment　more　strange。

No　one；　be　it　remembered；　seeks　the　desert　for　a　pleasure…ground。　Life　and　business　traverse　it　by　paths　along　which　the　bones　of　things　dead　are　strewn　as　so　many　blazons。　Such　are　the　roads　from　well　to　well；　from　pasture　to　pasture。　The　heart　of　the　most　veteran　sheik　beats　quicker　when　he　finds　himself　alone　in　the　pathless　tracts。　So　the　man　with　whom　we　are　dealing　could　not　have　been　in　search　of　pleasure；　neither　was　his　manner　that　of　a　fugitive；　not　once　did　he　look　behind　him。　In　such　situations　fear　and　curiosity　are　the　most　common　sensations；　he　was　not　moved　by　them。　When　men　are　lonely；　they　stoop　to　any　companionship；　the　dog　becomes　a　comrade；　the　horse　a　friend；　and　it　is　no　shame　to　shower　them　with　caresses　and　speeches　of　love。　The　camel　received　no　such　token；　not　a　touch；　not　a　word。

Exactly　at　noon　the　dromedary；　of　its　own　will；　stopped；　and　uttered　the　cry　or　moan；　peculiarly　piteous；　by　which　its　kind　always　protest　against　an　overload；　and　sometimes　crave　attention　and　rest。　The　master　thereupon　bestirred　himself；　waking；　as　it　were；　from　sleep。　He　threw　the　curtains　of　the　houdah　up；　looked　at　the　sun；　surveyed　the　country　on　every　side　long　and　carefully；　as　if　to　identify　an　appointed　place。　Satisfied　with　the　inspection；　he　drew　a　deep　breath　and　nodded；　much　as　to　say；　〃At　last；　at　last！〃　A　moment　after；　he　crossed　his　hands　upon　his　breast；　bowed　his　head；　and　prayed　silently。　The　pious　duty　done；　he　prepared　to　dismount。　From　his　throat　proceeded　the　sound　heard　doubtless　by　the　favorite　camels　of　JobIkh！　ikh！the　signal