The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-06-28
CHAPTER l.
OLD FRIENDS IN NEW PLACES.


I One of those delicious December after
moons, only dreamed of elsewhere, brit
common under Egyptian skies, was set
Ting down over Cairo.
Warm, soft and hazy as the "Indian
summer" of America, the day was drop
ping half reluctant in the lap of night.
The red globe of the sun hung low over
the distant desert across the Nile, its
ever shifting sand waves motionless
now, under the light breeze, and the re-
freshing moisture of night beginning al
ready to creep into the air,
Far to the southwark showed the dim
ming line of the Mokattam hills, while
away toward sunset rose the tall cones of
the pyramids; the Sphinx a grave and
silent sentinel thrown forward in ad-
vance, Between them and the city the
immemorial Nile sent her current rae
ing to the sea, low now and curving like
a silver serpent between retreating banks
fringed with tall topped palm trees and
dotted with splendid palaces.
Within the city sights and sounds be-
gan to make themselves known which
ever shun the day in this strange landi
for day is dull and still in Egypt to all
save those unfortunates whom need and
toll call into activity; and there, by the
fiat of climate, only night lives.
Central in El-Kehirah, the victorious
city, is the great groved public park,
covering several acres and known as the
Ezbekieh Ancient-for what is young
: in this land which makes Antiquity her
self look new?-and unique, too, this
8 common breathing place of all the mixed
u races combines the gayety of the Boise
!. dc Boulogne with the chaffering of the
Bowery. About this great open parl
group the principal hotels and man.
y residences of the better class of Euro
y pean population, occasional palaces rear
ing their lofty domes among them.
Over one of these last, at the gatewa.
:, of which an armed soldier walked HI
y, post, in place Of the usual bowab
> porter foated the crescent flag Of tn
, Sublime Porte; for the semi-sovereignt
- of Egypt, under the firman granting it
y" powers, is permitted no separate flag
H. In its spacious court yard and garde
~ was stabling and grooming space for
10 cavalry detachment, the lower rang
~ of rooms being used for offices and ba
,b racks.
In the main apartment above, stretche
upon o divan and enjoying the lon
he deep whiffs from his nargileh, reclin
ar an officer of the army Of the Khedl'
Ismail Pasha, for that luxurious gram
son of q warrior grandsire-Mehem
~, Ali. "the Lion of Islam"-now held Il
,st reins of u government almost indepen
20 ent of STEAMBOAT This soldiers It'll
~ but powerful frame was half hidden
a the full folds of pajamas of India sill
but the languid pose and femininity
,5s dress were negatived by the clear, strol
Ia lines of a face out of which flashed bla
,sn ewes, restless and defiant even in
wa reverie The thick, short black ha
-, touched with white about the temple
proclaimed him q Christian, spite OF t
,oa red fez lying near upon the cushion, a
Al, the features were those OF Fran
y though their swarthy olive denied
a y being Ingleezc.
md Even an old acquaintance might ha
Of needed second glance to recognize
i've Latour Bey the Creole youth so fam
her for manly proves at West Point d
xed ade gone Yet Time had set no spec
de. pressure of his signet on him, spite
,ts' the light snow round his brow and
stray white threads marking the dro'
en-. ing mustache. The change was Il
g if nameless something which indura
,rm characteristics, impressing the I'M
emf upon the outer man; that someth
, to which whispers, even through casual
, he preston and movement, that the n
els, has lived.
His head resting ON hands locked
,wn hind it, Adrien Latour gazed thro'
cast the western easement long and with
,rm notion but his eyes-in which the Ii
rom flickered, glowed and died in turn-f
little of the level landscape there.
INKS But whatever his eyes saw they CO
rmy back promptly as the curtain, ever