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Tors
bile .
THE
MANGA
COMPLETE
COLLECTION
X 4»
aN 2
\ tere, 2.

1 AN
| - Mea eieeel eel
Ez Te Yc Gp =.
@, &S5 Tea
aman

Any
BY Idumi Kiriharay-
ERAS i.
 ont
lo Eat Your
ONCLL Eos
THE COMPLETE
MAN GAYCOLLECLILON

Story by: Yoru Sumino

Art by: Idumi Kirihara
 CONTENTS

Chapter 1: [Introverted Classmate]

Chapter 2: Total Opposites

Chapter 3: Places I Want to Go Before I Die

Chapter 4: Truth or Dare

Chapter 5: Things One Shouldn’t Do £ ‘2 4 i

Chapter.6: Our Own Choices a

Chapter 7) What Means todbive

Chapter 8: IWant to FatYour Pancteas

Chapter gi Living with-D yings
ib
Final Chapter: Walking
ae a
 WHEN MY
CLASSMATE
YAMAUCHI
SAKURA
DIED, THERE
WAS A
WAKE
AND A
FUNERAL.
 Ah...
could
you COOK |\——
| some rice,
please?
 Hs
WANT TO
EAT YOLIR
PANCREAS.”
Chapter 1 | [Introverted Classmate]
x
 SHE
AND I
DION’T
HAVE A
SINGLE
THING IN
COMMON.
 KY
SX 8s

ea

CLASSMATES
+&
NES

x3

WERE
INTERESTED
IN ME,
EITHER.

11
| os
X NEVER
GON,
Ps] CHANGE.
 HEY! You
SHOULD'VE
SAID YOU
WERE
HEADING
I'MA HERE!
LIBRARY
AIDE
REMEM-
BER?
 I WANT
TO EAT
YOUR
PANCREAS.
 WHAT,
ALL OFA
SUDDEN
YOU'RE A
CANN/BAL?

THE SICK

INTERNAL
ORGAN OR
SOMETHING
WAS
DISEASED

LIKE, IF
PEOPLE SOMETHING \
USED TO WAS WRONG
BELIEVE
THAT'D
MAKE
acl ul SOMETHING LIVER.
WAS WRONG
WITH THEIR
 ARE YOU
TALKING
ABOUT
EATING MY
ORGANS?

I WANT
TO EAT
YOUR
PANCREAS.
 Y
POOR
LITTLE
INTERNAL
ORGANS
WOULDN'T
BE UP TO
THE TASK
OF SAVING
BESIDES, YOURS.
I MIGHT
NEED MY
PANCREAS
SOMEDAY, SO
SHOULDN'T
I HANG ON

I BET
YOU DON'T
EVEN KNOW
WHAT A
PANCREAS
DOES.

REGULATES
THE
ABSORP-
TION AND
PRODUCTION
OF ENERGY.

FOR
EXAMPLE,
UF IT MAKES
SOMEONE INSULIN,
DOESN'T WHICH
HAVE A CONVERTS
PANCREAS,
THEY CAN'T
CREATE ENERGY.
ENERGY,
AND THEY
DIE.
 S50
YOU CAN'T
HAVE MINE
FOR YOUR
RITUAL
CANNIBALISM
OR WHAT-
EVER.

IN ME,
[CLASSMATE
WHO KNOWS
MY SECRETI-
KUN?
 See

ANYONE
WOULD
FIND A
CLASSMATE
WITH A
TERMINAL
ILLNESS
INTERESTING.
THAT'S WHAT WE HAD /N COMMON.

INTEREST-
ING AS A
PERSON?
 I FOUND

alr

Donon
Oo

i
1 0

GETTING
STITCHES
OUT
DOESN'T
HURT AS
MUCH
As /T
USED TO.
LIVING
WITH || LOVES _, Ir
DYING. BOOKS.

WRITTEN?
WHAT KIND
OF BOOK
 Starting today,
ve decided to
write down how
| feel and what
ve done each
day in thig
'm not book. I’m
going to tell calling it
anyone but my —Living with
family about Dying.
what’s going on,
but the thing ig,
’m gonna die in
a few years.

’'m writing
NO--/T'S A
thig go [ can
JOURNAL come to terme
ABOUT with it and
L/ dN WITH
|should gay live with my
LIKE IT ff
U

that what’s illnegs.

Not that wrong with
long ago, meis my
most people pancreas.
died really goon
after they were
diagnosed. It’s
aking among
digeages!
So far
|haven’t
been
showing
any
symptoms.
 OH!
[INTRO-
VERTED
CLASSMATE]-
KUN!

WHAT'RE
YOu
DOING
HERE?

APPENDIX
OPERATED
ON
RECENTLY.
EXAMINED. ¢:
 ITS A \|
ee gee
R ME,
I WAS TOO!
MAKING THIS |
BIG FUSS A
Hub? ABOUT HAV- a
NO has ING LOST MY .
AWKWARD : be BOOK, AND =
SILENCE? Ne | THEN, AFTER
i, ALL THAT
2 SEARCHING,
yy IT TURNS OLIT
 MY WHAT
PANCREAS BRA 7 KIND OF
ISN'T
WORKING.

ae
THING I
WROTE IN
DS
Em
S
THERE |S yy /
TRUE! ites |
 / THEN. \.
_[ Yow asour \.
| SOME _ \
| RESPECT FOR
THE FACT
THAT I DIDN'T
RESPOND WITH
AWKWARD
SILENCE?
 You
SINCE
YESTER-
[cLass- VAY...

wll RE
—
muii LL
IE |

HM
1|
ai rnin
|
Mh
 I'M
LOOKING
FORWARD
TO IT!
 ARE YOU
SURE THIS
IS HOW a
WANT
SPEND WHAT'S
LEFT OF
YOUR LIFE?
Le TIDYING THE
/ \ LIBRARY?

32
=
YOU MUST
HAVE THINGS
YOU_WANT

[CLASSMATE
WHO
KNOWS MY
SECRETI-
KUN.

BUT
YOU'RE
NOT DOING
THOSE

D
$0 TOMORROW,
IN THAT SAME AS
SENSE, ME.
THERE'S NO
DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN
us.
 A DAY
ISA
DAY FOR
EVERYONE.

ISN'T
THAT
WHAT
MATTERS?
 GOOD
JOB, |
SAKURA! |

HE
TOTALLY
IGNORED
YOU, DIDN'T
HE, [CLASS-
MATE WHO
KNOWS MY
SECRETI-

BUT
You HONESTLY--!
HAVE NO
FRIENDS!
 MEET ME
IN FRONT
FTTION
STA
AT ELEVEN,
SUNDAY
MORNING--

HUH...?
UIH...SORRY, \
I PROMISED |
TO GOONA
DATE WITH
MY GIRL-
OH, FRIEND
PLEASE.
Ou'R
LYING!
 SHE'LL
BE ABLE
TO WALK
DOWN
THIS
ROAD?

37
 I STARTED
FEELING--
JUST A
LITTLE
B/T--LIKE
I SHOULD
TRY 70...

THINK
MORE
POSITIVELY
ABOUT
GOING
OUT ON
SUNDAY.

Chapter 1 |
s«
NY 2
= WA Za
| Nd.
 MMM -
MMM... /

FOR SOME
REASON,
WE'RE
AT AN
ALL-YOU-
CAN-EAT
GRILLED-
 BUT
I CAN'T
BELIEVE =
I LET HER
TALK ME —
INTO THIS, |=

I WONDER
IF THIS IS

ALL-YOU-
CAN-EAT
<\ BUFFETS.

GROSS, TOO.

Ww
BE RICH IF
RICH, YOU'RE NOT
EVERYTHING TAKING
IS ALL-YOU- ADVANTAGE
CAN-EAT. OF SOME-
THING THIS
GOOD ALL
THE TIME?
 SO, WAIT--
ARE YOU
EATING BEEF
ORGANS
AS PART
OF YOUR
TREATMENT?
 DON'T
you T Be
FOLLOW
A SPECIAL
DIET OR
ANY-
THING?

EVEN
THAT'S ONLY
POSSIBLE
BECAUSE
THERE'VE
BEEN HUGE
MEDICAL BREAK-
THROUGHS IN
THE LAST TEN
YEARS OR SO.

THEY STILL
NEED TO
FIGURE OUT
ACTUAL
CURES FOR
ALL KINDS
OF THINGS,
THOUGH.
( soMEONE fF <= =| = SOMEONE
| WHODoES | WHO DOESN’T
THINK AHEAD. THINK AHEAD.

: DON'T
JUST STUFF
YOURSELF
WITH EVERY-
THING THAT

WHAT'RE
you
cee
~ KNOW I'M
GONNA DIE
SOON, BUT
YOU'RE STILL
HAVIN
HEALTH. IT'S
EASIER, YOU
KNOW?
SEE YOU
TOMOR-
ROW!
You did great!
| hope you get this message!
Thanks for hanging with me today! sy
It was really fun! ©
| really, really hope you'll go to other
fun places with me! ©
Friends to the end, right?!
Good night! ©
See you tomorrow!

"SEE YOU TOMORROW."

 See

FS
EE

= cm
=ee i |
/ ler a
 OH, S-

THAT ¢ THEERDAANYD,
EXPLAINS THOSE
IT. ‘y TWO? SAKURA
AREN'T ‘%
PESIETNHEED
eee

?
WHY

TO
ey LIBRARY?
OH.

a STHTE
od S=e
TW O O F E
Eo
S THEM?
=i =.

I CAN
FEEL =
T!
WHAT'D
J

— — M S S ?

ND
[INTROVERT]E-D
CLASSMAN?TE
KLI
50
Random documents with unrelated
content Scribd suggests to you:
 A BEDOUIN SHEIK.
Frank took a rapid note of the appearance of the sheik, so that he might know
him again: "A large cloak of gray material, with the sleeves and skirt of a
white caftan showing beneath it—cloak fastened at the neck by a clasp and
cord with red tassels, a beard white as snow and not closely trimmed, and a
head-dress of a cafeeah, or Syrian kerchief, held in place by cords of twisted
camel's-hair. A face browned by exposure and its natural hue, and a pair of
eyes so keen that they might pierce a hole through a blanket." Such was the
Bedouin sheik that our friends encountered.
One of the boys asked the Doctor if this was a part of the race of Arabs that
made it unsafe for travellers to go through their country.
"Yes," answered the Doctor. "I do not know that this particular camp indulges
in robbery, but the chances are that it does. The Bedouins of Syria and
Palestine have their own notions about the rules of life, and with the most of
them robbery is not incompatible with honesty."
The boys laughed at this idea, and then the Doctor explained his meaning.
"You are aware," said he, "that among the Indians of our Western plains it is
perfectly legitimate and honorable to steal horses; we might come nearer
home and say that many respectable men in New York and other cities do not
think they have done anything wrong when they persuade their friends to buy
the stocks or other property that they wish to sell. The rules of honesty vary
 in different parts of the world,
and the standard of one
country or people will not
always answer for another.
"Plundering travellers or tribes
weaker than his own has been
the practice of the Bedouin
from time immemorial. He
considers it perfectly
legitimate, and points with
pride to the property he has
stolen, provided he is in no
danger of being seized for the
theft.
"He is always ready to be
bought off, provided he can
MODERN BEDOUINS OF MOUNT SINAI. make more in that way than
by stealing. Sometimes the
government lays a heavy hand
on him, and compels him to abandon his practices; but as these people can
always flee to the deserts, where regular troops cannot follow, it is very
difficult to conquer them. Some of the tribes have never been subdued, but
live in perfect independence far away from the cities and towns.
"The Bedouin has the single virtue of hospitality, and a stranger who has been
received in his tent is entirely safe so long as he remains there. The Bedouin
will protect him and his property, and instances of violation of the rules of
hospitality are very rare. But it sometimes happens that he will find out what
road his guest intends to travel, and then send his friends forward, or even go
himself, to rob and perhaps murder the man who was the night before
sleeping safely in his tent. There is a superstition among many of the Arab
tribes that if they eat salt with a stranger they are forbidden to harm him
afterward; from this comes the remark you often hear about two persons
having eaten salt together, and therefore they must be friends.
"The Arabs in this part of Palestine," Doctor Bronson continued, "were
formerly very bold robbers, and committed many outrages. They have been
severely chastised on several occasions, but their evil practices have never
been quite broken up. They claim to own the country, and therefore insist on
their right to levy toll or tribute from everybody passing through it. This would
not be so bad if the amount of toll was uniform, but their practice has been to
take everything the traveller possesses, even to his clothing and sometimes
his life.
"Of late years the business has been systematized, and the Bedouins have
made a compromise with the government, so that any traveller can have a
safe-conduct through their country by paying for it. A sheik of the tribe with
several of his followers lives in Jerusalem; they are kept there as hostages for
the good behavior of their brethren in the Valley of the Jordan, and before
one of them can leave the city another must come there to take his place. In
case a traveller under escort is robbed, the sheik must make good his loss.

SCENE IN THE WILDERNESS.

"The price of a safe-conduct to the Jordan and Dead Sea has been fixed at
five francs for each person of a party, and the guides and servants are not to
be counted.
"When we came to Jerusalem, Ali went to the sheik and paid him thirty francs
—five francs for each of us—for the safe-conduct for the party. An escort of
one or two men will meet us at Mar Saba, and go with us the rest of the way.
He is responsible for our safety, and his presence with us indicates that we
have paid the proper black-mail, and are therefore not to be molested.
 AN ARAB GUARD IN PALESTINE.
"Formerly it was necessary to engage a dozen or more of these fellows to act
as a guard. It was really another and more expensive form of black-mail, as
the men were of no actual use, and would run away if attacked, leaving the
traveller to his fate. It made no difference to them whether he was killed or
not; and as they had usually received a part of their pay in advance, it was
not worth their while to stay and take the risk of being killed in his defence.
"A great deal of nonsense has been written about the noble character of the
Bedouin Arabs, their bravery, scrupulous honor, and other commendable
qualities. Of course there are exceptions, and it would be strange indeed if a
people numbering many thousands should all be rascals. But, taken as a
whole, the Bedouins are a race of thieves, and their few redeeming traits are
not sufficient to offset their bad qualities."
Ali had obtained a permit to visit the monastery
from the Greek Superior at Jerusalem. He told
the travellers that they must stop when forty or
fifty feet from the gate, and wait till the letter
had been presented. A dozen monks came to the
top of the walls and surveyed the party, while the
letter was attached to a string and drawn up.
The permit proved to be all right, and a small
door was opened by which one after another the
strangers were taken inside. No Arab is ever
admitted under any pretence, and consequently
Ali remained outside while the party was
conducted through the place by one of the
brethren who spoke French.
RUSSIAN PILGRIMS IN
They saw the cavern where St. Saba lived on THE HOLY LAND.
friendly terms with a lion, the tomb where he
was buried, the church, the bones of the monks killed by the Persians, and
the rooms occupied by the brethren, and also by pilgrims from the Jordan on
their way to Jerusalem. A tall palm-tree bends over the summit of the roof of
one of the towers. It is said to have been planted by St. Saba in person, but,
whether this be so or not, the tree is certainly of very great age.
There are about sixty monks in the convent, the most of them Russians, and
all adherents of the Greek Church. They eat nothing but vegetables, and fast
often, and the result is they are thin and feeble. When not engaged at their
devotions they employ their time in carving ornaments, crosses, and the like,
from olive-wood and mother-of-pearl, which are sold to visitors or sent to
Jerusalem. No woman is ever permitted to cross the threshold of Mar Saba,
not even to escape the terrible storms which ravage the country at certain
seasons. Harriet Martineau, Ida Pfeiffer, and other lady travellers tell how they
were denied admission, and slept in a tower near the monastery, or in their
tents in camp. The accommodations of the tower are very limited, and it is
entered by a door which must be reached by a rope-ladder, since it is about
twenty feet from the ground.
As our friends completed their visit they gave a couple of francs to the brother
who had conducted them through the place. The other brethren had spread
their wares on the floor of the court-yard, and were waiting for the chance of
selling something; but nobody wished to buy. As they gave the money to the
monk he asked if it was for himself or the convent. When they said it was for
himself he repeated the question in a loud voice, so that his companions could
 hear it and the answer which followed.
Another franc was then added "for the
convent," and immediately each of the monks
gathered his possessions from the floor, and
disappeared into an inner room. The strangers
were shown through the little door, and, after
a short stroll among the desolate surroundings
of the convent, they returned to their camp.
The dragoman roused the party before
daylight, and by the time the hills were fairly
lighted up they were off for the Dead Sea.
They descended to the Valley of the Kedron,
which is overlooked by the towers of Mar
ROAD TO THE DEAD SEA. Saba, and ascended the stream for a short
distance to a suitable crossing-place, when
they turned to the eastward.
Another encampment of Bedouins was passed, and then another; the road lay
among hills wilder and more desolate, if possible, than that of the day before,
and in some places it was so rocky as to be really dangerous. On two or three
occasions horses fell with their riders, but fortunately without doing any
serious injury. Frank had his foot jammed very hard against a rock around
which he was passing, and the thickness of his boot barely saved him from
injury. Not a year passes without accidents of more or less severity in this part
of the way, and our friends heard afterward of broken legs and arms among
the tourists of the preceding year. The guides and tourist agencies take great
pains to conceal these occurrences, and it is only through the consuls or other
disinterested persons, apart from the victims and their friends, that accidents
are ever heard of.
They descended rapidly, and it was apparent to all that the Dead Sea was far
below the level of Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
 THE DEAD SEA FROM THE NORTH.
Suddenly they came to a break in the hills, and before them lay the Dead Sea,
its surface smooth as glass, and reflecting the rays of the sun with dazzling
distinctness. On the opposite side were hills as steep as those they were
descending, and away to the left was the Valley of the Jordan, with the
famous river winding through it in numberless curves and zigzags that were
shown by the trees fringing its banks. They were looking on the waste of
waters that covers the buried cities of the plain. It seemed close at their feet;
but as they proceeded they found how deceptive was their vision, as it was
yet a long ride before its banks were reached.
The boys were eager to stand upon the shores of this wonderful body of
water, and as they rode along Frank refreshed his own memory and that of
his cousin by repeating the information he had stored up concerning it.
"It is the lowest body of water in the world," said he; "I mean it is nearer the
centre of the earth than any other. It is 1310 feet below the surface of the
Mediterranean, and 3697 feet lower than Jerusalem, and it has been sounded
in a good many places, and found to be of an average depth of 1000 feet."
"I have heard all that," replied Fred, "and more too. It is supposed to cover
what was once a plain, and, according to tradition and the Bible, the cities of
Sodom and Gomorrah are under its waters. They were destroyed for the
wickedness of their inhabitants, and the only one of them who was saved was
Lot."
"You are right," responded Frank; "and the name of
the sea in Arabic is Bahr Lut, or 'Lot's Lake.' Its
other names have been the Salt Sea, the Sea of
Asphalt, the Eastern Sea, and the Dead Sea. It is
forty-six miles long, and about ten broad at its
widest part."
Farther conversation was prevented by a kicking-
match among the horses, causing a commotion
that lasted several minutes. As soon as it was
ended the ride was resumed, and they reached a
sloping stretch of ground between the hills and the
water. There was an Arab encampment not far
from the shore, and the swarthy Bedouins formed a
picturesque addition to the scene.
The boys were agreeably disappointed to find the
shore of the Dead Sea the reverse of desolate; it is
true there was not a great deal of vegetation, and
the little that existed was not of a useful kind.
Nevertheless, where they had expected nothing
would grow, they found plenty of bushes and
reeds, which continued up to within a hundred feet
or so of the water's edge. MAP OF THE DEAD
SEA.
They halted and dismounted close to the shore,
and Ali brought a cup of water for the travellers to
taste. They found it exceedingly bitter, and one of the boys asked the Doctor
the cause of this remarkable flavor.
"The water," said he, "is intensely salt, containing twenty-six per cent. of solid
matter, which is four per cent. more than Great Salt Lake in Utah. Lake Elton,
in Russia, is said to contain thirty per cent., and if so, it surpasses the Dead
Sea, and is the only lake that does.
"The solid elements in the water of the Dead Sea are principally chloride of
sodium (common salt) and chloride of magnesium, and there is more of the
latter than the former. It is the magnesium that gives the bitter taste; and the
next ingredient is chloride of calcium, which gives it an oily feeling that you
will perceive when you bathe in it. There are half a dozen other ingredients,
but they are so small in quantity that it is not worth while to mention them."
The eyes of the boys brightened at the suggestion of a bath in the Dead Sea,
and they immediately consulted Ali on the subject. The dragoman said it was
easy enough, as they were in no danger of drowning, and could make a
dressing, or, rather, an undressing room of the bushes a little farther along the
shore, where they would not be disturbed by the Arabs.
The vote for a bath was carried almost unanimously. The Doctor was the only
one who declined the experiment, and, as he had been there before, he had
no curiosity to satisfy.
"Be very careful not to get the water in your eyes," he said to the youths, as
they entered the sea. "It will not do any serious harm, but will make them
smart and burn very disagreeably for hours."
They heeded his injunction, and limped over the flinty stones, which
threatened to cut their feet at every step. Once in the water they experienced
a novel sensation; no effort was needed to keep them above the surface, and
they floated very much as corks are seen to float in a basin of ordinary water.
Ali tossed an egg to them, and it floated with fully a third of its bulk exposed.
They could not get their feet more than a few inches below the surface, and
they found it more difficult to swim than they had supposed, in consequence
of the great buoyancy of the water. They could paddle around with the
greatest ease, but swimming was another affair.
A few minutes of the bath was enough by way of experiment. There was a
great sputtering when Frank happened to get some of the water in his mouth.
Fred laughed at his cousin's mishap, but immediately wished he had not done
so. While in the midst of an audible smile he unexpectedly rolled over, and
caught more of the bitter waters than he had bargained for. As soon as he
could speak he suggested that he had had bath enough, and, Frank agreeing
with him, they returned to the shore. The rest of the party were there already,
and acting on the advice of Ali they dried themselves speedily and vigorously
with the towels he held in readiness.
Unless removed immediately, the water is apt to cause a prickling and burning
sensation which continues several hours. It is sure to leave an oily feeling that
is disagreeable but not painful, and does not usually disappear until a fresh-
water bath is taken. This may be had in the Jordan, and is taken by most
travellers if time and circumstances permit.
 LYNCH'S EXPEDITION TO THE DEAD SEA.
During the bath Ali had spread out the mid-day lunch, and it was eaten with a
hearty relish. The Doctor embraced the opportunity to say it was not until
1837 that anybody discovered the Dead Sea to be lower than the
Mediterranean. Some English surveyors ascertained it, and the matter
attracted so much attention that ten years later an American expedition was
sent to survey the Jordan and the Dead Sea; it was commanded by
Lieutenant Lynch, of the United States Navy, and was thoroughly equipped for
its work.

LYNCH'S LEVELLING PARTY.

"Lieutenant Lynch," said the Doctor, "landed at the Bay of Acre in March,
1848, carried his boats on trucks drawn by camels over the mountains of
Lebanon, and launched them in the Lake of Gennesaret. From this lake the
party descended the Jordan to the Dead Sea, spent three weeks in a survey
of that body of water, and then 'levelled' the route to the Mediterranean, in
order to settle the question of the relative heights. They found that no fish or
living thing belongs to the water of the Dead Sea, and all fish from the
Mediterranean or the ocean die very soon after being placed in it. Ducks swim
in the water without injury, but it is fatal to them to be plunged beneath it. As
it contains nothing for them to eat, they have no inducement to dive.

THE CAVERN OF USDUM.

"At the southern end of the Dead Sea is the Mountain of Usdum, which
contains a cavern three or four hundred feet deep, in which there are deposits
of salt. There are other salt deposits in the neighborhood, and it is believed
that the Dead Sea derives its saltness from the dissolving of these deposits,
and also from the substances brought down by the River Jordan."
"Every lake without any outlet is salt, is it not?" Fred asked.
"Certainly," replied the Doctor; "it is a rule of nature that has no exception. All
water from springs, brooks, and rivers contains salt gathered from the earth,
and sometimes the quantity is considerable. It is the slight amount of salt that
makes water palatable; if you taste of pure distilled water you will find it 'flat,'
and its purity is what makes it so.
"The salt brought down from the land gradually accumulates; the water
passes off by evaporation, but the salt remains. As time goes on the saltness
of the water increases, so the scientific men tell us, and perhaps millions of
years hence the ocean may be as strongly impregnated as the Dead Sea. Who
can tell?"
 Chapter XXVI.
FROM THE DEAD SEA TO THE JORDAN, JERICHO,
AND JERUSALEM.—THE VALLEY OF THE JORDAN.

REEDS AND RUSHES ON THE JORDAN.

It was a ride of less than two hours from the Dead Sea to the Jordan; the
ground was level and the horses in good spirits, so that the whole party
indulged in the luxury of a gallop. The course of the Jordan was indicated by
trees and great masses of reeds, but the stream was so completely concealed
by them that its waters were not revealed until rein was drawn at the bathing-
place of the pilgrims.
The boys could hardly restrain their impatience to reach the waters of the
river that is so intimately connected with the history of Christianity. Of course
they made immediate preparations for a bath, according to the custom of the
great majority of visitors; the water was so cold that they remained in it only
a few minutes, and were glad to resume their clothing and make a calm study
of the scene.
"The river at this point," wrote Frank in his journal, "is about a hundred feet
wide, and flows with a current so swift that we could hardly stand against it.
We waded and swum to the other side; swimming was preferable to wading,
as the bottom is composed of sharp stones, which are very disagreeable to
walk upon. The guide said the stream was swollen by recent rains, and at
least a foot deeper than at its ordinary stage.
"There is a ford at this bathing-place, and another higher up. Caravans and
single travellers going from the east to the west bank, or vice versa, usually
pass by one of these fords, and sometimes a large party may be seen here. It
is not safe to venture on the other side without a strong guard, as the Arabs
are far worse than those between here and Jerusalem, probably because they
are not under so much restraint by the government.

AN ARAB SKIRMISH IN THE LAND OF MOAB.

"Several explorations have been attempted of the Land of Moab, as the
country east of the Jordan is called, but only a few of them have succeeded.
In most instances parties have been compelled to return just after crossing
the border, and before they had accomplished anything of what they went to
see. The Arabs are treacherous, and often violate their promises after they
have received heavy backsheesh to permit travellers to go on without
disturbance. If you want to know more of this region we advise you to read
'The Land of Moab,' by H. B. Tristram, one of the few travellers who has
explored it. Another interesting work on this subject is 'The Desert of the
Exodus,' by E. H. Palmer, and don't forget 'The Land and the Book,' which we
have already mentioned.
"Mr. Tristram tells in his book how narrowly he escaped being robbed, and
perhaps murdered, by one of the tribes that roam over the country. It often
happens that there is a quarrel between two tribes, and when any parties
from one encounter the other there is certain to be bloodshed. If strangers
happen to be under the escort of the defeated party they must share its fate,
and consequently it is not an easy matter to select a guard that can carry you
through safely.
"When Mr. Tristram's party started from Hebron there were two tribes from
which it was necessary to choose an escort, or rather to whom to pay black-
mail. The choice fell upon the Jehalin tribe, and, after a good deal of
negotiation, a contract was made and signed with them.
"Hardly had they entered the Land of Moab when they met a large band of
the Beni Atiyeh, a tribe with a very bad reputation, and the number was so
great that it was nonsense to think of fighting them. The dragoman went
forward to parley with them, and was stripped of his outer garments, satchel,
money-bag, and belt, before he could speak a word; the sheik of the escort
went at the same time and with better success, as he managed to get the ear
of the chief of the Atiyeh. Two or three of the men of the escort who ventured
to the front were knocked down, and for a little while there was a good
prospect of a very serious result to the travellers.
"It turned out that the Beni Atiyeh were on good terms with the Jehalin, and
on the payment of a heavy backsheesh they allowed the party to go on. It
would have been far otherwise if Mr. Tristram had chosen his escort from the
other tribe that offered its services, as there was a bitter quarrel between it
and the Beni Atiyeh, and there would have been no chance of an escape. No
mercy would have been shown to the travellers, and possibly the Arabs would
have justified their cruelty by referring to the old adage, 'A man is known by
the company he keeps.'
 BATHING-PLACE OF THE PILGRIMS (FROM THOMSON'S "THE LAND
AND THE BOOK").
"You must know there are two bathing-places on the Jordan; one is visited by
the Latins and the other by the Greeks, and each Church claims that its
bathing-place is the spot where Christ was baptized by John. Mr. Thomson
thinks that neither is correct, and that the scene of the baptism was
considerably farther up the river than any of the present sites. He argues that,
according to the historical record, Christ came from Galilee, and was baptized
by John, and then returned to Galilee; the road from Galilee reaches the
Jordan much farther north than the present bathing-places, and though it is
possible he came to this point it is hardly probable.

SOURCE OF THE JORDAN.

"The bank of the river is fringed with willow, tamarisk, and other trees and
bushes, and there are several pretty spots here for forming a camp. We
wanted to stay here for the night, but our guide had sent the tents by a short
route from Mar Saba to the neighborhood of the ancient Jericho, and after a
halt of an hour or so we mounted our horses and rode away from the river.
"Doctor Bronson says it is quite probable that the passage of the Jordan by
the Israelites, described in Joshua iii. and iv., occurred at the bathing-place we
have visited, or certainly not far from it. According to the biblical account they
passed the river 'right against Jericho,' and this expression is supposed to
mean that they crossed the Jordan at the point nearest to that city.

PASSAGE OF THE ISRAELITES.

"During our halt one of our party read the account of this interesting event
while the rest listened. It was not at all difficult for us to imagine the scene
when the Israelites came down from their camp in the hills of Moab, and took
their position on the banks of the Jordan. Here they halted for the night, and
on the next day, when all was ready, the ark of the covenant, borne on the
shoulders of the priests, was advanced to the edge of the river; as the feet of
the bearers touched the water it receded, and in a few minutes the bed of the
stream was dry. Then the ark was carried to the middle of the channel, and it
remained there in charge of the priests till the whole host had gone over.
"When the last of the procession had passed, Joshua called to the priests to
bring the ark from the bed of the river, and they did so. The waters at once
resumed their course, and the Jordan flowed on as before. Of course the
monuments of stones which were erected by the Israelites to commemorate
their crossing disappeared hundreds of years ago, and we have only the
geographical localities to guide us; but, as we heard the description of the
event, and looked around us, we felt certain that the spot where the Israelites
crossed over Jordan, after their escape from Egypt, and their wanderings in
the wilderness, could not be far away.
 "Before we go on to Jericho let me say
something about the famous river we have just
visited.
"The Jordan is about a hundred miles long in a
direct line, but its course is so crooked that the
actual length of the stream is a great deal more;
nobody has ever measured it accurately, and
therefore I can't say how much it winds about.
One authority says it is sixty-four miles in a
direct line from the Dead Sea to the Lake of
Tiberias, and two hundred miles by the windings
of the river. The head-spring of the Hasbany
(the parent of the Jordan) is seventeen hundred
feet above the level of the Mediterranean; the
mouth of the Jordan, where it enters the Dead
Sea, is, therefore, about three thousand feet
lower than its source, so the Jordan has a great
fall for so short a river.
"The Hasbany and several other streams unite
in the Lake of Hooleh, and from the outlet of
that lake the river is called the Jordan. It has a
rapid fall to the Lake of Tiberias; and as it goes
out of that lake it begins its tortuous course,
which can be surpassed by very few rivers in the
world. Between the Lake of Tiberias and the
Dead Sea there are twenty-seven cascades or
rapids; all of them are so great that it is quite
impossible for boats to make the ascent, and it
is not by any means safe to attempt to descend
them. Lieutenant Lynch started with three
boats, one of wood and the others of iron. The
wooden boat was bought in the Lake of Tiberias, while the iron ones were
brought from the United States. The iron boats were a good deal battered by
the thumps they received during the voyage, but the exploring party brought
them to the Dead Sea, and used them for completing their work. The wooden
boat was ruined, and abandoned before half the journey had been
accomplished.
"The Valley of the Jordan is called the 'Ghor' by the natives. The word means
a depression or hollow, and the valley may be regarded as a plain sixty miles
long, and from five to ten miles wide, enclosed by mountains. The mountains
on both sides are very steep, and the Valley of the Jordan is not unlike some
of the deep gorges or ravines in our Western States and Territories. It is
broader near the Dead Sea than farther up. The land is generally fertile, and
capable of supporting a larger population than it contains at present.
According to the accounts in the Old Testament, it was far more productive in
ancient times than it is to-day. It contains ruins of cities that once were
populous, and it is very certain that the land of Canaan has greatly diminished
in importance since the children of Israel came to it and settled.
"There were then as now wandering tribes of shepherds, and their customs
have changed very little in all the centuries that have passed; but there were
more people living in settled places, and the biblical story shows that Jericho
was a walled town with gates, which were shut at night. The flax drying on
the roof of Rahab's house shows that that plant was cultivated, and the cord
by which she let down the spies tells us very plainly that the people
understood the art of spinning. We read the Bible very carefully while in the
Jordan Valley, and have derived a great many useful hints from it, and much
information.
"We wished we could have been here at the time of the annual visit of the
pilgrims, which occurs at Easter, and is a curious sight. There are pilgrims
here in fair numbers through the whole year, and they all consider it a
religious duty to bathe in the Jordan. The great festival is in April, and at that
time several thousand pilgrims leave Jerusalem immediately after the close of
the Easter festivities and come down to the Plain of Jericho, where they
encamp for the night. They come from all parts of Europe, and there is a
good representation from Asia as well. You can see many varieties of
costume, and hear a jargon of languages that might remind you of the Tower
of Babel.
"The camp is a scene of confusion, and long before morning a disorderly
procession is formed, thousands of torches are waved, and the great crowd
presses forward in order to enter the sacred stream at daybreak. Hundreds of
people are in the river at the same moment, and not a year passes without
some of them being swept away and drowned in the swift current. Men,
women, and children are crowded together indiscriminately, and the wonder is
that so few accidents occur. The whole ceremony is over in two or three
hours, and then the pilgrims turn back from the Jordan and return to
Jerusalem.
 RECENT ASPECT OF THE PLAIN OF JERICHO.
"Just as we left the Jordan it began to rain, and we had a disagreeable ride to
Riha, which some writers consider the site of Gilgal; others think it marks the
position of ancient Jericho; but the general opinion is that Jericho was farther
to the west. The modern Jericho is a village of fifty or sixty houses, and its
inhabitants are a degenerate race of people, who live by a little agriculture
and by what they can beg or steal from visitors. We found our tents pitched a
little out of the village, and were a good deal annoyed by the natives, who
crowded around us and could not be driven away. The children begged for
backsheesh, and the men wanted to amuse us with a 'fantasia,' or dance, but
we had been told it was a stupid performance, and declined to witness it.
 AIN-ES-SULTAN, OR FOUNTAIN OF ELISHA
(FROM THOMSON'S "THE LAND AND THE BOOK").
"There is a tower near the village, which is called by some 'The House of
Zaccheus,' but the indications are that it was not built till the time of the
Crusades, long after Zaccheus was laid in his grave. We did not have time to
visit it, nor did we go to the Ain-es-Sultan, or Sultan's Spring, which is also
known as the Fountain of Elisha. It is a fine spring, the water rather warm in
temperature, as we are told, and varies but little in volume throughout the
year. Biblical students who have been here say there can be no doubt it is the
very fountain which was healed by the prophet Elisha, and is therefore well
entitled to bear his name. There are several aqueducts by which the water
was once carried over the plain, and used for irrigating the fields, but they are
now so much ruined as to be of little consequence.
"What a night we had in our camp! The rain ceased about sunset, but during
the night it came on again, and fell as though a thunder-cloud had burst
above us. It poured and poured, and not only did it rain, but the wind blew
like a gale at sea. Fred and I remembered what we had said at Bethlehem the
first night we slept in the tents. We concluded we were going to have all the
storm we wanted, and more than once wished ourselves safely lodged in a
solid house.
"The ground was soaked with water, and became so soft that it would not
hold our tent-pegs against the wind. The rain came in through the canvas, the
pegs gave way, and about midnight down came the cold and sloppy cloth in
our faces.
"We shouted for help, and the dragoman came with his men and managed to
fix things up a little, but it was slow and disagreeable work with the heavy
rain falling, and the night as black as the inside of an ink-bottle. They had one
miserable lantern that did little more than enable us to see the darkness, and
by the time they had the tent arranged so that we could crawl under it we
were wet nearly to the skin.
"We tried to laugh it off, but 'twas no use trying. We couldn't either of us see
the fun of it, and couldn't get to sleep again. There we lay till morning
wondering what would happen next.
"The Doctor's tent went down like ours, but he had a thick water-proof coat
and a large wrapper of the same material, so that he was not so badly off as
we were. He didn't escape, though, nor did any of the others, and when
daylight came we all looked as if the best thing would be to wring us out and
hang us up to dry. We were a sorry looking breakfast-party, but pulled
ourselves together and managed to eat something. Fortunately the rain
stopped, but there came a new trouble.
"When we went into camp there was a little brook close by us which we were
to cross in the morning. The heavy rain swelled this brook into a small torrent
that was absolutely dangerous to ford, as one might easily be swept down
with the current and drowned.
"So we went up the bank about a mile, and while the horses were driven
through the water our party walked over an old aqueduct which wasn't the
safest bridge in the world, but a great deal better than no bridge at all. The
channel of the aqueduct was about a foot wide, and the sides eighteen or
twenty inches high; the whole structure was at least fifty feet above the
torrent that dashed below us like the rapids of Niagara. We walked very
carefully, as the least misstep might have sent us tumbling over the side, with
an excellent prospect of being killed by the fall or drowned in the roaring
water. It is hardly necessary to say we were all heartily glad to be on the safe
side of the stream.
"We had a ride of five hours from this bridge to the gates of Jerusalem, and
such a five hours we do not care to have again.
"Before the end of the first hour it came on to rain, and by the middle of the
second hour the rain had changed to snow. And with the rain and snow there
was a high wind, and as we wound among the hills we had it in all directions,
now in our faces, and a few minutes later blowing at our backs.
"The guide repeatedly called our attention to places of scriptural or other
interest. We tried to look at them, but I fear we were more concerned about
the weather than with what lay around us. But we remember among other
things that the route from Jerusalem to Jericho has the same character now
that it had eighteen centuries ago, and we had an escort to protect us from
falling among thieves. We halted a few minutes at the ruined khan which is
said to be the site of the inn to which the good Samaritan carried the
wounded and plundered traveller whom he found by the way-side.
"The guide told us that a few years ago an English traveller was robbed by
the Arabs at this very spot, and the scriptural description will exactly cover his
case: 'They stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed,
leaving him half dead.'

THE VILLAGE OF BETHANY.

"Our road was steadily upward, as Jerusalem is nearly three thousand seven
hundred feet higher than the Dead Sea, and we were not far above the level
of that body of water when we started from Jericho. At several points we
were on the old road built by the Romans; we went by Bethany, which we did
not stop to look at, and wound around the Mount of Olives, and down through
the Valley of the Brook Kedron, which we crossed near Gethsemane. Then we
entered Jerusalem by the Gate of the Tribes, and rode along the nearly
deserted streets to the door of the hotel.
"We were all so benumbed and stiff with the cold that we needed assistance
to descend from our horses, and we could not keep our steps straight as we
entered the building. A good fire and a hot dinner brought us to ourselves
again, and we laughed over our troubles and began to think they did not
amount to much, after all.
"It is very unpleasant to be soaked with rain and chilled with the cold, but
somehow when you get dry and warm again you don't feel so badly. We shall
forget all about the storm and its disagreeable features, but we'll remember
the Dead Sea, the Valley of the Jordan, the site of Jericho, Bethany, the inn of
the good Samaritan, and a dozen other historic things we have seen since we
left our camp at Mar Saba and descended into the deepest valley in the world.
Anyway we'll try to forget the storm, but I can't help shuddering just a little
when I think of it—it was so cold, and the rain was so wet!
"The rain and snow are still falling as I write in my journal in the public room
of the hotel at Jerusalem. We've sent our clothes to the kitchen to be dried,
and we're dressed in such things as we've been able to borrow in the house,
and a funny-looking group we are. The Doctor has put on a coat much too
short in the sleeves, and says he feels as though he had gone into a ready-
made clothing store and been served with the first garment that came to
hand. Fred is nicely gotten up in an Arab costume, fez and all; he's trying to
speak the language, but isn't very successful. I'm in part of a suit belonging to
one of the gentlemen of the Palestine Exploration Fund, who happens to be
stopping here; but the most conspicuous garment of my wardrobe is a large
blanket, with the word 'Tigre' on the outside in big letters. It once belonged to
the French steamer of that name, and was left here by a traveller; I may be
placarded as a tiger while wearing this blanket, but feel very far from what
that beast is supposed to be."
 Chapter XXVII.
FROM JERUSALEM TO NABULUS.—HISTORIC PLACES
ON THE ROUTE.
During the night after the incidents described in our last chapter the storm
cleared away, and the sky at sunrise was without a cloud. Everybody had slept
well and recovered from the fatigue of the journey, and the exposure to rain
and snow. Frank and Fred were quite ready to make a fresh start, and
laughed over the troubles of the previous day as the merest trifle in the world.
Doctor Bronson had a long conference with the
dragoman and the keeper of the hotel, together
with the American consul, who happened to be
stopping in the house. It resulted in an
announcement that the party would start the
following morning for Damascus.
Of course the decision gave great delight to the
youths. The Doctor made the following explanation
of the plan for the new journey:
"Ali tells me that the heavy storm we have just
passed through will be in our favor, as there is a
good prospect of fair weather to follow it for a week
or ten days. It is not the right season for the 'long
route,' as the ride from Jerusalem to Damascus is
called, and the majority of travellers at this time of
year prefer the 'short route.'
"Perhaps I may as well say here that if we followed THE HOTEL-KEEPER.
the latter we would return to Jaffa and take steamer
for Beyroot. There we land, and proceed by
carriage-road to Damascus, and when we have done with that famous city we
go back to Beyroot the way we came, and are through with Syria. I had
thought of taking the short route, but as we are now well accustomed to the
ways of travel, and have proved our abilities to endure the severities of a
winter storm, I am inclined to the long one. Our American companions have
left the whole arrangements in my hands, and I have decided that we will go
through to Damascus by the overland way."
Frank asked how much time they would take on the journey.
"The ordinary time consumed in it," the Doctor answered, "is seventeen days;
it may be extended as much as we choose, since we hire the dragoman by
the day, and he is to provide us with everything; and it may be shortened
three or four days. I have arranged that he is to get us through in fourteen or
fifteen days, and he will do so if we are not delayed by storms or accidents.
"The best time of the year for this journey is in spring, between 'the early and
the latter rain' which the Bible mentions. The country is then in its best
condition, the climate is delightful, and the chance of fine weather far better
than now. But as we cannot suit the season to ourselves we will run the risk;
with stout hearts and plenty of water-proof clothing we ought to go through
without difficulty."[8]
The afternoon was devoted to making a few purchases of articles likely to be
needed on the journey, the completion of letters, and a few sights that had
not been made during the first visit to the city. Doctor Bronson engaged a
trusty man, who was recommended by the consul, to go to Jaffa and take the
baggage of the party to Beyroot, where he would deliver it to the proprietor
of the hotel to await their arrival. This was thought to be safer than ordering
it sent forward as ordinary freight, and trusting to the agents of the steamer
to deliver it. Steamship agents in the Levant are not worthy of the fullest
confidence, as the writer of this book can bear witness. Travellers are advised
to look carefully after their own affairs, and be wary of the oleaginous
tongues of those from whom they purchase tickets.
As soon as the arrangements had been completed Ali disappeared from the
hotel, and was not again seen till evening. He was busy with his preparations
for the journey, as it was necessary for him to hire additional horses, and
secure a stock of provisions sufficient to carry them through to Damascus with
what he could purchase on the route. The pack-train, with the tents and
provisions, was sent away in advance. The party had a long ride before it for
the next day, and before nine o'clock everybody was in bed.
 SCENE ON THE OVERLAND ROUTE FROM
JERUSALEM.
They were off by daybreak, leaving the city by the Damascus Gate, which we
have already seen in their company. They passed near the tombs of the kings,
and descended into the Valley of the Brook Kedron, which is here much
smaller than where they crossed it at Mar Saba. They met a few natives on
their way to the city, with trains of donkeys laden with vegetables and grain
for sale in the markets of Jerusalem, and in one place they were crowded
against a rough wall by a line of camels that kept the road to themselves in
the manner for which those animals are famous. The road, though used for
centuries, is impassable for wheeled vehicles, and the beasts of burden that
traverse it follow in the footsteps of those who preceded them ages and ages
ago.
In several places the route was over rocky ridges, where all the earth had
been swept or washed away, leaving the ledges entirely bare. Frank observed
that the feet of the camels had worn broad holes in the rock; the Doctor
recalled to him the proverb hitherto quoted, that a continual dropping will
wear away stone, and said the feet of the camels had dropped for hundreds
of years in the same places, so that it was no wonder the stones were worn
away.
From Jerusalem to Nabulus is a ride of eleven hours; it is customary for
travellers to pass the night at Bireh or Ramallah, as the majority of tourists
are unwilling to make the entire journey in a single day. But our party had
tested its ability to endure fatigue, and determined without hesitation to reach
Nabulus before night if possible. It was for this reason that an early start was
made, and the halts along the road were few and short.

BY BABEL'S STREAM.
The farewell view of the Holy City was taken from the side of the Hill of
Scopus, which was reached by ascending from the Valley of the Kedron. Its
domes and minarets stood out clear and distinct under the deep-blue sky of
Palestine, and every member of the party was reluctant to turn away his eyes
from the place which is sacred in the thoughts of every Christian, and familiar
to his ears since he first heard the stories of the Crucifixion and the
Resurrection of the Saviour of mankind. Frank called to mind the words of the
Israelite by Babel's stream: "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand
forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the
roof of my mouth."
From the crest of Scopus they looked down upon a broad plain or plateau,
where the first view seemed to be one of desolation. Limestone rocks were
spread in ridges, one beyond the other, until they appeared to leave but little
space for arable land. Close observation showed that between every ridge and
its neighbor there was a strip of soil which might be made productive with a
little care and industry, and the sides of the hills and valleys were terraced till
they sometimes resembled a series of broad steps.
"This land is full of promise," one of the boys remarked.
"Yes," responded the Doctor, "and by cultivation it can be made to answer the
scriptural description. The Land of Promise was a land of 'vines, and fig-trees,
and pomegranates; a land of oil-olive, and honey,' as we read in the eighth
chapter of Deuteronomy.

THE GRAPES OF ESHCOL.

"Observe what this land might be rather than what it is. The fig-tree and the
olive would grow and bear fruit in the spaces between the ridges of rock, and
the vines might clamber up the sides of the terraces, and be as luxuriant as
they were in the days when the spies visited Eshcol, and brought back the
famous grapes described in the Bible and represented in the books of our
infancy."
Fred asked if such grapes were found at present, and where Eshcol was
supposed to be.

HEBRON.
"There is some doubt on that score," was the reply, "but it is generally
believed that the Brook of Eshcol was in the neighborhood of Hebron. There
are extensive vineyards at Hebron, and their grapes are larger and finer than
in most places in the Holy Land. The clusters are often very long, but nobody
in these modern days has ever seen them so large that it would require the
strength of two men to carry one of them.
"The Bible does not say that it required their strength to carry this burden.
Read the passage in Numbers xiii. 23, and you will find it says, they 'cut down
from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between
two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs.'
Remember that a bunch of grapes cannot be carried in a sack like
pomegranates and figs, but must be suspended, so as to preserve the fruit
from injury. The spies had a long way to travel, and there was no other mode
of transporting the fruit of the vines of Eshcol than the one described."
The guide called attention to the village of Shafut, a little distance from the
route, and said it was supposed by some to occupy the site of the ancient
Mizpeh. A little farther along on the other side of the road was a rounded hill,
which has been identified by some writers as the site of Nob, mentioned
several times in the Old Testament. Beyond it is Tuliel-el-Ful (Hill of Beans),
where once stood Gibeah, the scene of several important incidents described
in Judges, Samuel, and other books of the Bible. Doctor Bronson said it was
quite probable that the meeting of David and Jonathan took place in the
valley between these two points, and the scriptural account certainly carries
out his theory.
They passed Er-Ram, which corresponds to the Ramah of Benjamin (1 Kings
xv. 17), and was formerly a populous city, but is now a miserable village. As
they rode along, one of the boys recalled the murder of the descendants of
Saul, and the devotion of Rizpah, who spread sack-cloth on the rocks, and
watched by the bodies of her sons all through the summer days to prevent
their being devoured by birds.
"Yes," responded Fred; "and don't you remember the picture we saw at the
Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia representing the scene?"
Frank remembered it perfectly, and said the painting and the engravings that
have been made of it would now have a renewed interest for him since he
had looked upon the spot where the incident happened.
As they passed Ramah, Fred referred to the passage in the Book of Judges
where Deborah is said to have dwelt under a palm-tree "between Ramah and
Bethel, in Mount Ephraim." Very naturally he asked if they were near Bethel.
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