Page:On the Desert - Recent Events in Egypt.djvu/272

258 be all on one side. At once the negro threw up the skirt of his garment as a signal to his comrades, who were close at hand — for we were but a few hundred yards from an Arab village — and they came rushing out in great numbers. The matter began to look serious. Loud words and fierce gestures might lead to blows, and as both sides were armed, there might be bloodshed. Dr. Post reined up close beside me and whispered, "Keep perfectly cool. Do not dismount. If there must be a fight, let them fight it out among themselves; but on no account get off your camel." This was good advice, but not so easy to follow: for the black fellow, set on by others, seized our camels by the halters, and dragged them to the ground; but we kept our seats, and hitting them a cut with our whips, they sprang up again. This performance was repeated a number of times. The other side appeared to be divided. Some were willing to let us pass, and motioned to us to go on, though at the same time they held up their hands in token that a slight douceur would be acceptable. But the black fellow, supported by others, was obstinate, and again and again seized our camels and dragged them to the ground. Our impulse was to strike him in the face with our whips, but as that might have brought on a general combat, we thought it more prudent to hold in our wrath till our baggage train appeared. At last it came up, and our men mingled in the fray. Our old soldier, who had lost his chance three hours before, was now like an Irishman "spoiling for a fight." Our men gathered round us, and kept the crowd at bay, while they pushed us along. Meanwhile our dragoman, who was always for peaceable measures, even at some sacrifice of dignity, was cajoled into going off to the tent of one of the head men of the tribe, to whom he gave some paltry backsheesh to be distributed among the ruffians, for which Dr. Post rebuked