Evening star., 1926-03-21

was off on a nonstop run to Nut. and
as our own water supply was by no
means plentiful, l thought we had
better follow his example,
WHEN we reached Nut it was eve
w ming. Soon after my arrival the
usual boring deputation of government
officials turned up to felicitate me in
conventional terms on my safe return.
After thanking them for the loan of
the tanks l asked the mamur Gudge)
whether anything had been heard Of
Qway.
He professed to a total ignorance
on the subject, and wanted to have
full details OF what he had been doing.
! gave him an account of Qway's con-
duct as shown by his tracks and the
empty tanks, and asked that he be i'm
mediately arrested.
The mamur hesitated for a moment.
then burst out with u passionate
Never. Qway is u gada' tsports-
mani.
pointed out the gada had. at any
rate, walked off with a rifle and tele-
scope of mine, and that I felt certain
he had come into the oasis and was
aiding.
The mamur did not think he was
hiding, but that he would turn up as
soon as he heard / had got back. And,
anyway, he declined to send out men
to look for him or to have him ar
| rested. I insisted that it was his duty
both to find and arrest him, and after
a considerable amount of pressing he
at length gave way to the extent of
promising If Qway did not turn up to
- III, l,n Il
after tomorrow"
A long discussion followed. and at
| last a solution of the difficulty oc.
| Cured to the mamur. He said he
could not arrest Qway. but he would
send a policeman to bring back the
rifle and cartridges. Did they satisfy
me? 1t didn't. I said ! must have
Qway as we'll. After long discus
sion he at last agreed to send to fetch
him If would send a message by the
policeman to tell Qway that he was
not to shoot him.
The next day the T1amur came
around to see me, looking immensely
relieved. He said that the policeman
had gone to Rashida to fetch Qway,
but found that he had left the village.
So now there was nothing to be done.
He evidently felt that he was now
clear of all responsibility in the
matter.
had thus lost track of Qway and
began to despair OF ever being able to
get hold Of him. l began to wonder
what was the best thing to do next.
This problem, however, solved 1t.
self. had Just finished lunch when a
timid knock came at the door and in
walked Qway!
He looked 10 years Older. His eyes
were bleary and bloodshot, his cheeks
sunken. his lips parched and cracked,
his beard untrimmed, and he had an
unkempt, almost dirty. appearance.
lie laid the rifle and telescope on
my bed, fumbled in his vQluminous
clothing and produced handful of
cartridges, took some more out Of his
pocket and laid them all on the table.
Count them, your excellency," he
said. 'They are all there"
found that the tale Of them was
complete. / asked him what excuse
he had to make for his conduct. He
looked at me for q moment to see
what line he had better take. and the
one that he took was not particularly
complimentary to my intelligence.
ut was very hot, your excellency--
very hot, indeed. And 1 was alone and
an afrit climbed up on to my camel.
There was an afrit, your excellency.
that got up behind me on my camel
and kept on telling me to go there
and to do this, and I had to do 1t. 1t
| was not my fault the water was up.
set. 1t was the afrit. l had to do
what he told me-"
Then, hearing q snort from Dahab
he added that there was not only one
afrit, but many, and that that part OF
the desert was full Of them. I thought
| it time to stop him. / told him I had
! heard quite enough, and that he had
| to come around with me to the
| merkaz.
WE met the mamur at the door OF
| w the merkaz, and Qway immedi
| ately rushed forward to try and kiss
his hand. The mamur, however, would
have nothing to do with him. Like
! nearly all the felahin, he backed the
| come out on top.
! "This man is q traitor. a regular
traitor" said the judge, who had no1
| yet tried him and who had previously
told me he was a sportsman. But
had got the best Of the deal, and
| moreover, was shortly returning Il
Egypt and might report on him to one
| Of the inspectors. So he determined
to show me how an Egyptian officia
can do justice when he takes off hi!
coat for the job.
He hustled in to the Office and begal
arranging papers fussilly on his table
Having got things to his satisfaction
the mamur ordered the prisoner to b,
brought in. He arrived between tw,
! wooden-looking policeman.
"Well, traitor, what have you got t,
say for yourself? Mr.. Harden KeeI
says you upset some water. What d.
you say to it?'
"Yes, 1 upset the water. But
could not help it. 1t was q very no
day. :"
'L4iar!" said the nlamur.
"Na'am?" said Qway, rather takel
aback.
II said liar" shouted the uamur
humping the table. Qway, who was
high-spirited fellow. found this NOR
than he could stand, and began to ge
!nettled.
GAS I said, Effendim, it was a no
lday-very hot, and 1 am an old mai
land perhaps it was the sun. I dom
know what it was, but an afrit--