 The original release included a sequence in which Lawrence, after his arrival  at Faisals camp and before the journey into the Nefud Dresert, voluntarily  undergoes a risky test of courage. He and Ali (Omar Sharif) both jump into a  quicksand pit, which begins to swallow them. The idea is that whoever calls  for help last has the most courage. Lawrence wins the contest, thus proving  himself more worthy in the eyes of the Bedouins, particularly Ali, with whom  he has been on unfriendly terms up until now. This scene helps explain why  the Bedouins would follow him into the desert. It was excised from the later  versions and was not included in the 1988 restoration. Still photos exist of  it, however.