News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-10-29
AN EGYPTIAN INCIDENT.

Il m gong to put an end to this
Egyptian plague" growled Col. Mae
Pherson. "We come here every win
ter, sail up the same old river, look
at the same old pyramids-no mod
ern additions or improvements
the same abominable old images that
have worn thes same grotesque aspect
for fifty centuries, and broil on the
same uncomfortable decks, and all
because that boy of mine wants to
become known as an Egyptologist.
To the duce with beetles and sacred
cattle. I'm tired of it all. "
Out of breath with the exertion
necessary to this long sentence, Col.
lavish MACPHERSON leans back in his
comfortable armchair and closes his
eyes for a nap. The cause of his trou-
bic is not very apparent, and as he
sits there under the awning, with his
half-pay running on at the horse
guards, with the rents of his deer for
ests and sheep farms in the highlands
faithfully collected and accounted for
by the factor, and with his member
ship fees paid up to date at the Carl
ton and United Service clubs, one
could imagine thateven Egypt would
appear something other than house
of bondage. The colonePs dahabeah,
with her big three-cornered sail trim
med to the breeze that ruffles the wa
ters of the Nile and bears her onward
to Assouam and the Great Cataract,
is as quiet and restful albeit pictur-
see, as on this December evening of
1870 she creeps up the river, the look
out man on the bow watching that
the channels followed, and the steers
man, impassive as mummy, leaning
upon the long handle of the tiller.
Forward OH the deck, face down or
curled up in all sorts of odd positions
lie the crew, a motley collection of
Arabs, Nubians and Osmanlis. There
is nothing stirring. The mark of the
desert is all around. Even the sun,
now nearly on level with the Nubian
mountains away on the horizon, looks
tired and dusty. The intense quiet
bothers the colonel; so he yawns and
grOWls once more. He is a widOwer
with two children-the elder a lad of
eighteen years, who has already made
something of a reputation as a
student of Egyptian remains, having
been enamored of the land since the
evil day when the colonel first pro-
posed to winter on the Nile. The sec
ond is a gentle lad of ten years, well
liked by everybody. He gives his
vote for Egypt every winter, because
Jack asks it as a favor. They are
ashore now after relics, and have
promised to reportwhen the dahabeah
ties up for the night at Assouam be-
fore warping her way through the
cataract.
The colonel's eve followed a move
ment in the tangled group of figures
on the deck. Two men rise, shouting
at each other all the while. The colo
mel and the dragoman who has just
poked his head out of his room on the
deck look on lazily. Suddenly one
of the disputants makes rush at the
other-a gleam of steel is seen, and
the crew close round the men. A
quick stroke, a shout, anger changed
to agony, and a Nubian lies on the
deck with the dagger of AboO, a pow
erful Arab, in his breast.
All this so quickly that the cOlOne
is still growing that there is nothing
stirring to be seen in Egypt, when he
reaches the group, and, STOPPING ov
er the wounded man, draws the dag
ger out. 1t has left an ugly wound
but not dangerous, and as the wound
ed man is taken in charge by his com
rades. the colonel turns to the dragO-
man for an explanation,
With many profuse apologies The
dragoman tells how the two men were
sleeping side by side when the Nubiar
Inadvertently put his foot against
the Arabs face. That was all, anC
the dragoman smiled and bowed.
The colonel, an old disciplinarian
looked as black as night. In effectiv,
English he ordered the dragoman, af
ter he had discovered that the matte
was not -eckOned important enough
for Egyptian law to recognize, to an
chor the dahabeah and send a boa
ashore with the culprit and his bag
gage. To the dragoman's question
as to how Aboo was to get back t.
Cairo, the colonel thundered that h
might walk. The dragoman bowet
and smiled--it was a habit he ha,
learned from "a French friend in Cair,
and translated the colonePs re
marks to AboO, adding to them sue
tiittle pleasantries as he thought ot
He could walk. His shoes-this wit
q smile and a bow, directed to AbOo'
bare feet-his shoes might wear out
but. So Aboo having obtained hi
daggar and an old ring-his only al
ticle of bagga age-goes ashore muttel
ing revenge, which the dragoman il
terprets to the colonel with a smii
and a bow. The dahabeah glides o
. and in an hour is moored at Assouan
The wandering relic-hunters retur
; and all aboard retire, for is not TIL
cataract to be traversed at SUI
; down tomorrow?
Before sunrise Colonel MacPherso
? was awakened by the shout of til
!, young gentleman's body servan
who cried excitedly: "Wake, ma
: ter! We can't find master Bol
Here is a bit of paper that lay on b
bed"