The carol of a lonely bird singing in the wilderness! Suddenly it
downward dashes, and thrice with circling grace it flies around the head
of the Hebrew Prince. Then by his side it gently drops a bunch of fresh
and fragrant dates.
'Tis gone, 'tis gone! that cheerful stranger, gone to the palmy land it
loves; gone like a bright and pleasant dream. A moment since and it was
there, glancing in the sunny air, and now the sky is without a guest.
Alas, alas! no more is heard the carol of that lonely bird singing in
the wilderness.
'As thou didst feed Elijah, so also hast thou fed me, God of my
fathers!' And Alroy arose, and he took his turban and unfolded it,
and knelt and prayed. And then he ate of the dates, and drank of the
fountain, and, full of confidence in the God of Israel, the descendant
of David pursued his flight.
He now commenced the ascent of the mountainous chain, a wearisome and
painful toil. Two hours past noon he reached the summit of the first
ridge, and looked over a wild and chaotic waste full of precipices
and ravines, and dark unfathomable gorges. The surrounding hills were
ploughed in all directions by the courses of dried-up cataracts, and
here and there a few savage goats browsed on an occasional patch of
lean and sour pasture.
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