Page:H. D. Traill - From Cairo to the Soudan Frontier.djvu/258

 But, all the while, the more watchful of the observers had noticed that a sort of spacious floating horse-box had been brought up at a "dummy" near the landing-stage, and that with much clatter of hoofs on woodwork the frightened animals were being landed. Then, all of a sudden, at about eleven o'clock there was a banging of explosive fireworks and a rocket soared into the air. The Khedive had landed! A minute more and he was dashing in a carriage-and-four up the mile-long lighted avenue to the Mudîr's house, in front of which stood the doomed bullocks, with their slaughterers standing over them ready to deliver the death-stroke in token of Oriental welcome as soon as he set foot on his servant's threshold. Through the gaps in the crowd could be seen the white chargers of his escort streaming at full gallop behind him, between two dense rows of dark and voiceless spectators, like riders in a dream. It was a strange, wild sight, but stranger far was the almost total absence of sound. Amid