The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-05-18
The VALLEY OF DEATH
THE MUMNiIES AND DONKEY
BOYS.
Especial to The Citizen1

of Egypt's kings were found. Con-
sidering the heat and dust, II would
not be inappropriate to quote the
rest of the poets line and say,
Back from the mouth of HE'LL
This is the land of summer heat,
never moderated by showers. All
signs of our own familiar temper
ate zone are far behind. There is
even a difference between this and
Cairo, where the thermometer had
been above 100 degrees week be-
fore we arrived. We were 500 miles
nearer the equator, and we could
distinctly feel the difference. The
grounds of the hotel were an earth
ly paradise. Palms lowered above
the garden, while flowers and turtle
doves completed the tropical pict-
ure. Roses, hibiacus, oleanders,
pomgranates and cannas we're the
only flowers l could identify, but
there were a dozen more varieties in
full bloom. We were to leave this
paradise in the early morning to ride
out into the desert to the tombs of
the ancient Pharoahs.
Our train landed us at Luxor on
the opposite bank of the Nile before
IL o'clock at night. We were tired
and very dusty, for big Mahonetan
had appropriated the ladies COM
partment and the wash room, using
all the water to cleanse his feet
early in the afternoon before turn
ing toward Mecca to say his pray
ers in the aisle of the car. We had
not secured guides, donkeys or tick
cts to the monuments. We were
told that tickets to the monuments,
sold by the government could not be
obtained before the office hours. But
they did not know the American
hustle. We wanted to start while
it was cool. Our chief said we
could, so we bathed and slept the
sleep of the just. Thanks to his
indomitable energy, by o'clock the
next morning, guide, donkey, boys,
boatmen, lunch porter and all the
rest were at hand, as well as the
necessary tickets.
The donkey boy of Egypt is
necessary evil and creature full of
guile. His word is to be trusted just
so far as it comedies with the travel
ler's knowledge. He will tell the
most unblushing falsehoods without
the quiver of an eyelid, even when
he knows that you are aware of his
untruthfulness. He is an inveterate
beggar. But he is a shrewd student
of human character and if he had the
opportunity would soon grow rich.
Perhaps he is worth all the back
sheesh that he manages to wheedle
out of you for the diversion he
causes, making you forget the hard
ships of travel.
The leader of the gang of donkey
drivers at Thebes was a genius in
his line. From the moment we were
seated on our animals till the end
of the day his patter never ceased,
except when the guide was droning
out his story. The boy was only be-
ginning to sprout a beard, but he
was master of all the craft of the
diplomat. When he had exhausted
the resources and the patience of the
chief of our party, he made the
rounds of all the other members to
recommend to their generosity his
less oratorical fellow donkey pilots.
Here is a short sample of his
speech: Good morning! You see
my eye? My eye is to you. If you
are happy, / am happy. Your don
key suit you? Yer nice donkey. Go
ver' fast. Like rockin' chair. You
are ver' nice man. When / see you
/ know you are ver' honest man.
Don't forget your donkey boy. Thank
you YER much. He ver' thirsty.
Would like to buy some water.
Don't forget your donkey boy.
Goodbye. Thank you"
For directness of purpose | do not
know anything in English classics
that equals this. This son of the
bowling desert made use of the Eng
lish tongue in way that might put
a high school graduate to shame,
This is not the whole of his speech
by any means. He reported it at
intervals during the day, adding
verses from coon songs, quotations
from Roosevelt's speech, lines from
Mother Goose, sentiments from
Home, Sweet Home, bits of Ameri-
can slang, fragments of misinfor-
nation picked up from the guides
and gems from Shakespeare. His
satility was wonderful He was
rtainly worth the price of the
W-Cle show
We had some twelve miles of this
4 and on during the day. WheI
J @ ran out of conversation he would
start the donkeys to galloping while
he manufactured some fresh elo
quence or digested our tips. 1t die
not matter at all whether the rid
ers wished to go fast or slow. The
donkey boys settled the question anC
the donkeys obeyed them. 1t wal
no use to saw on the bits, for the
beast knew that the rider was mere
ly an irritation to be endured fol
a day while the driver was tyran
,,,bo continued fhrouph 1ifa