our horses. We do live in modern times after all. We surround the herd, chase the cows which try to get away, and drive them all together.
The truck arrives. Now the real work starts. The driver takes command. He claims that he has often transported cows in civilian life. Jamus too, who comes from a kibbutz, plays the expert and makes knowing suggestions.
We pick out one particularly fat cow, which seems to be the leader of the herd. Four men hold it still and then try and push. The cow is not convinced. We rain blows on it, but it does not move. Zuzik tries to pull it by the horns. Like in a bullfight, it almost catches him on its horns.
"You donkeys! This is how you do it," says Nehemia didactically. He takes the cow’s tail and twists it. That seems to cause pain and it starts walking slowly. Hurray! The first cow is caught.
The second cow is much more obstinate. Zuzik, keen to show he has been paying attention, grabs the tail and twists it. But at that moment the cow exercises a particular natural function. Zuzik yelps and runs off. We all laugh.
I get the third animal by the tail, but forget to twist it. The cow races off, I hold tight and am dragged twenty yards along the ground until I hit a boulder and let go. Tarzan chases the cow in the jeep, but can’t get it to come back. A military defeat. The cow is lost. The work is hard and makes us sweat. When we have the three cows in the truck, they rebel and jump back out. The work starts again from the beginning. It takes a long time to fill the truck.
"Watch out. Here comes an Arab!" Sancho shouts.
On the nearby hill a single Arab appears. He raises both hands above his head. In one hand he is holding a white cloth.
"Fire a round over his head!" someone orders.
We fire one round. The man lowers his head, but keeps coming toward us. A second bullet is not enough to get him to stop. He calls out in Arabic, waves his arms around, seems to be very excited. One of us approaches him. Jamus interprets.
Words pour out of the Arab. His face is stubborn and deeply embittered. He looks quite impoverished. "He says he is a Fellah from the village," Jamus translates. "The herd belongs to him. It is all he has."