Chapter 8

Poor Ali suffered like the rest from terrible thirst. He drank the last drop of water from his water-bottle, and thought of the morrow with fear.

He was so tired when night came, he was glad to lie down by the side of Meek-eye and go to sleep. Ali slept, but before morning, was awakened by the sound of voices.

He listened, and heard the chief driver tell one of the merchants that, if they did not find water very soon, the next day a camel must be killed, in order to get the water contained in its stomach.

This is often done in cases of great need in the desert, the stomach of the camel being so formed as to hold a great quantity of water.

Ali was not surprised to hear such a thing spoken of; but what was his distress and alarm, when he heard the merchant propose that it should be "the boy's camel" that should be killed!

The merchant said the other camels were of too good a kind, and of too much value; while, as to this young boy, what business had he to have a camel of his own?

It would be better far, they said, for him to lose his camel than for him to die, like the rest, of thirst. And so it was decided that Meek-eye should be killed, unless water were found the next morning.

Ali slept no more. His heart was full of grief; but his grief was mixed with courage and resolution. He said to himself that Meek-eye should not die.

His father had trusted him to bring the camel, and what would he say if he should arrive at Suez without it? He would try to find his way alone, and leave the caravan as soon as possible.

That night when all was quiet, and the merchant and camel-driver had gone to sleep, Ali arose, and gently patting the neck of Meek-eye, awoke him.

He placed his empty bag and water-bottles on his back, and seating himself on him, made signs for the creature to rise, and then suddenly started off.

Tramp, tramp, tramp, went Meek-eye over the soft sand. The night was cool and refreshing, and Ali felt stronger and braver with every tramp. The stars were shining brightly, and they were his only guides.

He knew the star which was always in the north, and the one which was in the west after the sun had gone down. He must keep that star to the right, and he would be sure to be going towards the south.

He journeyed on till day began to dawn. The sun came up on the edge of the desert, and rose higher and higher. Ali felt faint, weary, and thirsty, and could scarcely hold himself on to Meek-eye. When he thought of his father and mother, he took courage again, and bore up bravely.

The sun was now at its height. Ali fancied he saw a palm-tree in the distance. It seemed as if Meek-eye saw it also, for he raised his head and quickened his step.

It was not long before Ali found himself at one of those pleasant green islands which are found throughout the desert, and are called oases.

He threw himself from the camel's back, and hunted out the pool of water that he knew he should find in the midst of the reeds and long grass which grew there.

He dipped in his water-bottle and drank, while Meek-eye, lying down, stretched out his long neck, and greedily sucked up great draughts of the cool water.

How sweet was the sleep which crept over them as they lay down in the shade of the great palm-tree, now that they had quenched their thirst!

Refreshed and rested, Ali was able to satisfy his hunger on some ripe dates from the palm-tree, while Meek-eye began to feed upon the grass and leaves around.

Ali noticed, while eating his dates, that other travelers had been there recently: as the grass at the side of the pool was trampled down. This greatly cheered him. He quickly followed in their track, still going in a southerly direction.

He kept the setting sun to his right, and when it had gone down, he noticed the bright star that had guided him before.

He traveled on, tired and faint with hunger for many a mile, till at last he saw, a long way off, the fires of a caravan which had halted for the night.

Ali soon came up to them. He got down, from Meek-eye, and leading him by the bridle, came towards a group of camel-drivers, who were sitting in a circle.

He told them his story, and asked permission to join the party, and begged a little rice, for which he was ready to pay with the piece of money that his mother had given him when he left home.

Ali was kindly received by them, and allowed to partake of their supper. The men admired the courage with which he had saved his favorite camel. After supper Ali soon closed his weary eyes, and slept soundly by the side of Meek-eye.

In the midst of a pleasant dream, Ali was suddenly aroused by the sound of tinkling bells, and on waking up he saw that another caravan had arrived, which had come from the south.

The merchants sat down to wait until their supper was brought to them, and a party of camel-drivers drew round the fire near which Ali had been sleeping. They raked up its ashes, put on fresh fuel, and then prepared to boil their rice.

What voice was that which roused Ali just as he was falling asleep again? He listened, he started to his feet, he looked about him, and waited for a flash of flame from the fire to fall on the faces of the camel-drivers who stood around it.

It came flickering up at first, and then all at once blazing out, flashed upon the camel-driver who stood stooping over it, and lighted up the face of Ali's father!

The father had waited at Suez many days, wondering why Ali did not come; and then, thinking there had been some mistake, determined to return home with the caravan, which was starting for Gaza.

We need hardly describe the joy of both father and son at thus meeting, nor the pleasure with which the father listened to the history of Ali the fears and dangers to which his young son had been exposed. He was glad, too, that their precious Meek-eye had been saved.

There was no one in the whole caravan so happy as Hassan, when, the next morning, he continued, his journey to Gaza in company with Meek-eye and his beloved son Ali.

* * * * *

Language Lesson.--Syllabify, accent, and mark sounds of letters in the following words: _suffered, permission, partake, merchants, beloved_.

Let pupils use other words to express the meaning of what is given below in dark type.

Ali _bore up bravely_.

Meek-eye _quickened his step_.

_The sun_ was now _at its height_.

Write statements containing each of the following words, used in such a manner as to show their proper meaning: _herd, heard; need, knead; no, know; way, weigh; knew, new_.

Make out an _analysis_ of the two lessons, and use it in telling the story in your own words.

* * * * *

LESSON XXIII.

ob served', _saw; noticed_.

trans par'ent, _clear; easily seen through_.

ma te'ri al, _that of which any thing is made or to be made_.

ob tained', _taken from; received_.

gar'ments, _articles of clothing_.

verd'ure, _any green growth_.

a dorn', _dress with taste; beautify_.

par tic'ular, _of an unusual kind_.

va ri'e ty, _a number of different kinds_.

del'i cate, _gentle; tender_.

ca ressed', _treated with fondness_.

* * * * *

A QUEER PEOPLE.

One evening, as Captain Perry was sitting by the fireside at his home in Liverpool, his children asked him to tell them a story.

"What shall it be about?" said the captain.

"O," said Harry, "tell us about other countries, and the curious people you have seen in them."

"Yes, yes!" exclaimed Mary. "We were much interested, while you were away the last time, in reading 'Gulliver's Travels' and 'Sindbad the Sailor.'"

"You have seen as wonderful things as they did, haven't you, father?" said Harry.

"No, my dears," said the captain. "I never met such wonderful people as they tell about, I assure you; nor have I seen the 'Black Loadstone Mountain' or the 'Valley of Diamonds.'"

"But," said Mary, "you have seen a great many people, and their different manners and ways of living."

"Yes," said the captain, "and if it will interest you, I will tell you some of the curious things that I have observed."

"Pray, do so!" cried Harry, as both the children drew close to him.

"Well, then," began the captain, "I was once in a country where it was very cold, and the poor people could scarcely keep themselves from starving.

"They were clothed partly in the skins of beasts, made smooth and soft by some particular art; but chiefly in garments made from the outer covering of an animal cruelly stripped off its back while alive.

"They lived in houses partly sunk below the ground. These houses were mostly built of stones or of earth hardened by fire.

"The walls of the houses had holes to let in light; but to prevent the cold air and rain from coming in, they were covered with a sort of transparent stone, made of melted sand.

"As wood was rather scarce, they used for fuel a certain kind of stone which they dug out of the earth, and which, when put among burning wood, catches fire and makes a bright flame."

"Dear me!" said Harry. "What a wonderful stone! Why didn't you bring a piece home with you, father?"

"I have a piece, which I will show you some time," replied the captain. "But to go on with my story.

"What these people eat is remarkable, too. Some of the poor people eat fish which had been hung up and smoked until quite dry and hard, and along with it they eat the roots of plants, or coarse, black cake made of powdered seeds.

"The rich people have a whiter kind of cake upon which they spread a greasy matter that is obtained from a large animal. They eat also the flesh of many birds and beasts when they can get it, and the leaves and other parts of a variety of vegetables--some raw and others cooked.

"For drink they use the water in which certain dry leaves have been steeped. These leaves, I was told, came from a country a great distance away.

"I was glad to leave this country because it was so very cold; but about six months after, I was obliged to go there again. What was my surprise to find that great changes had taken place!

"The climate was mild and warm, and the country was full of beauty and verdure. The trees and shrubs bore a great variety of fruits, which, with other vegetable products, were used largely as food.

"The people were gentle and civilized. Their dress was varied. Many wore cloth woven from a sort of wool grown in pods on bushes.

"Another singular material was a fine, glossy stuff used chiefly by the rich people. I was told that it was made out of the webs of caterpillars, which to me seemed quite wonderful, as it must have taken a great number of caterpillars to produce the large quantity of the stuff that I saw.

"These people have queer ideas about their dress. The women wear strangely figured garments, and adorn their heads, like some Indian nations, with feathers and other fanciful head-dresses.

"One thing surprised me very much. They bring up in their houses an animal of the tiger species, having the same kind of teeth and claws as the tiger.

"In spite of the natural fierceness of this little beast, it is played with and caressed by the most timid and delicate of their women and children."

"I am sure I would not play with it," said Harry.

"You might get an ugly scratch, if you did," said the captain.

"Aha!" cried Mary; "I've found you out: you have been telling us of our country and what is done at home all this while!"

"But we don't burn stones, or eat grease and powdered seeds, or wear skins and caterpillars' webs, or play with tigers," said Harry.

"No?" said the captain. "Pray, what is coal but a kind of stone; and is not butter, grease; and wheat, seeds; and leather, skins; and silk, the web of a kind of caterpillar; and may we not as well call a cat an animal of the tiger kind, as a tiger an animal of the cat kind?"

"So, if you will remember what I have been describing, you will find that all the other wonderful things that I have told you of, are well known among ourselves."

"I have told you the story to show that a foreigner might easily represent every thing among us as equally strange and wonderful, as we could with respect to his country."

* * * * *

Directions for Reading.--Point out breathing-places in the last paragraph.

Name the _emphatic words_ in the last paragraph.

Pronounce carefully the following words: _vegetable, foreigner, beasts, products, across, again, also, apron_.

* * * * *

Language Lesson.--Let pupils express the meaning of what is given below in dark type, using a single word for each example.

Houses built of _earth hardened by fire_.

The walls have _holes to let in the light_.

They were covered with _a sort of transparent stone_.

They drink _water in which dry leaves have been steeped_.

Many wore cloth woven from _a sort of wool grown in pods_.

* * * * *

LESSON XXIV.

lin'net, _a kind of bird_.

com pare', _be equal; have similar appearance_.

wor'ried, _troubled; anxious_.

hum'ble, _meek; lowly_.

mis'chiev ous, _full of mischief; troublesome_.

grub, _dig up by the roots_.

* * * * *

THE ILL-NATURED BRIER

Little Miss Brier came out of the ground, She put out her thorns, and scratched ev'ry thing 'round. "I'll just try," said she, "How bad I can be; At pricking and scratching, there are few can match me."

Little Miss Brier was handsome and bright, Her leaves were dark green, and her flowers pure white; But all who came nigh her Were so worried by her, They'd go out of their way to keep clear of the Brier.

Little Miss Brier was looking one day At her neighbor, the Violet, over the way; "I wonder," said she, "That no one pets me, While all seem so glad little Violet to see."

A sober old Linnet, who sat on a tree, Heard the speech of the Brier, and thus answered he: "'Tis not that she's fair, For you may compare In beauty with even Miss Violet there;

"But Violet is always so pleasant and kind, So gentle in manner, so humble in mind, E'en the worms at her feet She would never ill-treat, And to Bird, Bee, and Butterfly always is sweet."

Then the gardener's wife the pathway came down, And the mischievous Brier caught hold of her gown; "O dear, what a tear! My gown's spoiled, I declare! That troublesome Brier!--it has no business there; Here, John, grub it up; throw it into the fire." And that was the end of the ill-natured Brier.

* * * * *

Directions for Reading.--This lesson should be read in a spirited manner.

It is suggested to vary the reading exercise by having one pupil read each stanza, and the class repeat it in concert.

* * * * *

Language Lesson.--Let pupils use other words to express the meaning of what is given below in dark type.

There are few can _match_ me.

They'd go out of their way to _keep clear of_ the Brier.

Supply letters omitted from the following words: _they'd, gown's, e'en, 'round_. Write the words in full.

* * * * *

LESSON XXV.

ply, _make regular journeys_.

com'merce, _trade between places or peoples_.

might'y, _of great power_.

trav'erse, _pass over; cross_.

re'al ize, _understand the truth of_.

pro pel', _drive forward_.

prop'erty, _any thing that belongs to a person_.

or'chards, _numbers of fruit-trees_.

im mense', _very large_.

glit'ter ing, _sparkling with light_.

* * * * *

WATER.

It is difficult to realize that nearly three-fourths of the surface of the earth is water; yet it is a fact.

Think of the immense space covered by oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers, and how useful all this water is to mankind.

Sailing ships and steam-ships traverse the oceans and lakes. Steam-boats ply along the rivers, carrying people and merchandise to and fro, going sometimes as far as three thousand miles from their starting point.

It is by water that men float their rafts of logs or lumber to distant places. Water turns the great wheels of many of our mills, and thus harnessed to mighty machines, does more work than thousands of men and horses.

These machines produce paper, cloth, flour, lumber, and many other useful articles.

When water is heated and turned into steam, it moves powerful engines. These engines propel our great steam-ships and steam-boats and drive machines of all kinds in mills and factories.

Many of you have seen water, clear and cool, trickling from the rocks in the side of a hill. This water first forms a spring.

From this spring, the water escapes in a tiny stream, called a rivulet or creek, and flows along until it enters a river. Many springs make many rivulets; many rivulets make large rivers.

Rivers sometimes receive such great quantities of water that they overflow their banks, and destroy much valuable property. This is called a freshet or a flood.

Many people who live near some of our rivers have lost their houses, furniture, and cattle, which were all swept away by these floods.

In the winter of 1883, the Ohio River received so much water from the thousands of rivulets flowing into it, that it overflowed its banks.

The result of this overflow was one of the greatest floods ever known, and many, no doubt, who read this, were there to see its terrible effects.

But where does all this water come from? you may ask.

Let me see if I can explain it to you. The water in all these rivers, lakes, and oceans is constantly rising into the air in what is called moisture or vapor. We can not see this moisture, neither can we see the air.

If the air is cold, moisture does not rise rapidly; but, as the air becomes heated, it takes up more moisture, so that the more heat there is in the air, the more moisture rises.

Heated air is light, and rises higher and higher from the ground, taking the moisture with it, until it reaches a point where it begins to cool.

Then as the air cools, the moisture forms into clouds, and these clouds are, in a certain sense, floating water.

Floating water! How can water float! do you ask?

Well, I will tell you. Cold air is heavier than heated air, and until the clouds become so full of moisture as to return some of it to the earth, in the shape of rain, they float because they are lighter than the air underneath them.

The winds, by the flapping of their mighty wings, drive the clouds over the land to the hills and the mountains and the thirsty fields; and there they pour their blessings on the farms, pastures, orchards, and the dusty roads and way-side grass, bringing greenness and gladness every-where.

Without water nothing would grow; every thing would dry up and wither.

All animals drink water, for it forms a part of their blood and thus helps to keep them alive. All trees and plants drink it by drawing it through their roots or leaves, for it helps to form their sap.

Sometimes on a summer morning you will see drops of clear sparkling water on flowers and grass.

To look at them you would think it had rained during the night; but, noticing that the ground is dry, you know that no rain has fallen.

What then are these glittering drops of water? Where do they come from?

I will tell you. These drops are called dew. As night comes on, the grass and the leaves of flowers and plants become cool.

When the warm air touches them, it becomes chilled, and as the air can not then carry so much moisture as before, it leaves some of its moisture on the flowers and grass.

A moisture like dew sometimes collects in the house. Did you ever observe it in drops on the outside of a pitcher of cold water? Some people suppose that the water comes through the pitcher, but it does not.

The water being cold makes the pitcher cold, and as the warm air of the room strikes it, a moisture like dew is left on the pitcher, in the same manner as dew is left on grass, leaves, and flowers.

In cold weather, when the dew gathers on plants and flowers, it sometimes freezes and forms frost, and when the clouds throw off their moisture in rain drops, the rain becomes sleet, hail, or snow.

So you see that dew, rain, frost, sleet, snow, and hail are only different forms of water.

* * * * *

LESSON XXVI.

treas'ure, _a large quantity of money; valuable things_.

for'mer ly, _in time past; heretofore_.

mod'er ate, _not great; limited in quantity_.

or'phan, _a child whose father and mother are dead_.

at tract'ive, _inviting; having power to draw toward_.

em'er y, _a kind of hard, sharp sand_.

ex treme', _last point or limit_.

rub'bish, _things of no value_.

fit'tings, _things needed in making an article ready for use_.

* * * * *

THE HIDDEN TREASURE.