winking blurs of light shed a dim glory down upon one of the

irrepressible memento-seekers who was pecking at the venerable

sarcophagus with his sacrilegious hammer.

We struggled out to the open air and the bright sunshine, and for the

space of thirty minutes received ragged Arabs by couples, dozens and

platoons, and paid them bucksheesh for services they swore and proved by

each other that they had rendered, but which we had not been aware of

before--and as each party was paid, they dropped into the rear of the

procession and in due time arrived again with a newly-invented delinquent

list for liquidation.

We lunched in the shade of the pyramid, and in the midst of this

encroaching and unwelcome company, and then Dan and Jack and I started

away for a walk. A howling swarm of beggars followed us--surrounded us

--almost headed us off. A sheik, in flowing white bournous and gaudy

head-gear, was with them. He wanted more bucksheesh. But we had

adopted a new code--it was millions for defense, but not a cent for

bucksheesh. I asked him if he could persuade the others to depart if we

paid him. He said yes--for ten francs. We accepted the contract, and

said--

"Now persuade your vassals to fall back."

He swung his long staff round his head and three Arabs bit the dust. He

capered among the mob like a very maniac. His blows fell like hail, and

715

The Innocents Abroad