“Who are you?” he said.

“We are Souafa.”

He confided in one of them, and said to him:  “By the face of the Master of the worlds, O favorite of fair women, man of remarkable appearance, tell me if the lady so and so, daughter of so and so, is here.”

“She is here.”

“Well, if you have the sentiments of most men, I desire you to bring her here, I want to see her.”

“I will do what you ask.  If she’ll come, I’ll bring her.  If not, I will return and tell you.”

He set out, and, arriving at the house of the lady, he saw some people, and said “Good-evening” to them.

“Come dine with us,” they said to him.

“I have but just now eaten and am not hungry.”  He pretended to amuse himself with them to shorten the night, in reality to put to sleep their vigilance.  These people went away to amuse themselves while he met the lady.

“A man sends me to you,” he said, “a Targui, who wants to marry you.  He is as handsome as you are, his eyes are fine, his nose is fine, his mouth is fine.”

“Well, I will marry him.”  She went to him and married him, and they set out on a camel together.  When the first husband returned, he found that she had gone.  He said to himself:  “She is at my father’s or perhaps my uncle’s.”  When day dawned he said to his sister, “Go see if she is in thy father’s house or thy uncle’s.”  She went, and did not find her there.  He went out to look for her, and perceived the camel’s traces.  Then he saddled his own camel.

The women came out and said:  “Stay!  Do not go; we will give thee our own daughters to marry.”

“No,” he replied, “I want to find my wife.”  He goes out, he follows the tracks of the camel, here, here, here, until the sun goes down.  He spends the night upon the trail.  His camel is a runner of five years.  When the sun rises he starts and follows the trail again.

About four o’clock he arrives at an encampment of the Touareg, and finds some shepherds with their flocks.  He confides in one of these men, and says to him:  “A word, brave man, brother of beautiful women, I would say a word to thee which thou wilt not repeat.”

“Speak.”

“Did a woman arrive at this place night before last?”

“She did.”

“Hast thou the sentiments of a man of heart?”

“Truly.”

“I desire to talk to her.”

“I will take thee to her.  Go, hide thy camel; tie him up.  Change thy clothing.  Thou wilt not then be recognized among the sheep.  Bring thy sabre and come.  Thou shalt walk as the sheep walk.”

“I will walk toward you, taking the appearance of a sheep, so as not to be perceived.”

“The wedding-festival is set for to-night, and everybody will be out of their houses.  When I arrive at the tent of this lady I will strike a stake with my stick.  Where I shall strike, that is where she lives.”

He waits and conceals himself among the flocks, and the women come out to milk.  He looks among the groups of tents.  He finds his wife and bids her come with him.