The Portland daily press., 1876-05-03
The ''Patient'' Camel and his Impatient
Driver.

A Cairo correspondent of the London Daily
News narrates the following: II lately wit
messed in an inconceivably frowzy street, of
narrowness which rendered the presence of a
camel in it at all the most puzzling pleasantly
imaginable-for the way was one in which any
European cat endowed with the least instinct
of self-preservation would certainly object to
be swung in, for obvious reasons-one of these
contests between ship of the desert and that
apparently stranded vessels guide, philosopher
aud friend. The latter had heaped up an arm
fui or so of green meat more than met the for
mer's views, on an already respectable collec-
ton Of vegetable substance, which msgnfed
the naturally excrescent aspect of the camePs
back into the seeming of an animate stack.
Crouchng he had pulled bmself close to-
getbec to "see out" the inconvenience result
ing from his determination not to carry away
that extra armful or two of green's and barring
an occasion wag of his whole skin IL cannot
describe the phenomenon otherwise-and a
cynical writhe of his spongy nose, he might,
for all movement on bis part have been CHS
elled out of stone. Around this mpregnable
stole was capering, in sort of distracted
hornpipe, his Arab owner or lessee, in yellow
rage, each successive parCxysm of which ex-
pressed itself in frenzy of double shuffies.
He was also hostiDg up parcel after parcel of
curses from the remoter depths of his dia
'phragm with prodactiveness in that direction
which would have done honor to a skilled dis
ciple of Signor Lamperti's gruesome "method,"
and punctnating each maedictiou with furi-
manifestly putting into every thump the whole
of whatever heart may beat in his dusky bos-
ON. Meanwhile the sentient drum upon
which the infuriate Ishmaelite thus unmerci-
fully heat his DEVILS tattoo made no
sign, till he had received about sixty or
seventy blows, except the aforementioned
scornfnl nose-wrinkliDg, with which ne, as it
were, checked off and took tally of the
wrongs inflicted upon him. Suddenly his eye
which had followed the Arab steadily through
all his intense gyratOns, twinkled. He thought
he had his chance. The Arabs legs were an
inch or two nearer to his victims body than
they had hitherto been, when out lashed the
long neck, and ''clash!' went the formidable
Jaws! He Just missed his tormentor's tibia, in
virtue of an enormous skip which the Arab ex-
ecuted simultaneously with the camel's effort;
but it was great joy to observe with what in-
tensifed wrath and perfect oneness of purpose
he 'went for the most vulnerable point of his
prosecutors person. Many more thumps
avenged his abortive snap; but he took no
more potice of them than if they had been so
many flappings of butterfy's wing. Pres
| emily the Arab, fairly tired out, and having
presumably exhausted the abusive resources
of his native tongue, sat down and spat freely
round him for a minute or two, after which
he took off the three or four pounds over
weight whereupon the camel rose with the
utmost promphtude, and stepped off in that
gingerly manner which is so ludicrousy out
of keeping with the figure and stature of such
! creatures, steering his way down a street
which almost accurately fitted him, as easily as
| if had been broad boulevard. He had had his
| own way, and he apparently bore no malice.