expedition?

"Well, it's clear enough since then things has been goin' ter ther dogs
heah. I tell yo', Jim, civilization gone to seed is wuss than 'riginal
barbarism.

"Them chaps as bilt the pyramids and obelisks war powerful men. They
must er hed sum pride in the kentry or they wouldn't been so everlastin'
perticelar 'bout their gravestunes, and this must uv been a different
kentry from what it are now. Yo've seen men as has lived too long. It's
so, I reckon, with patches of this old world. Anyway, I ain't buyin' no
sheers in Egypt, leastways not on the showin' these croppin's make."

When the ship passed into the Gulf of Suez the temperature was something
fearful.

"This wur the water that divided, wur it not?" asked Jordan.

"Yes," said Sedgwick, "this is the water, I believe."

Jordan was silent for several minutes. At last he said: "No mistake 'bout
thet story, Jim?"

"Why do you ask?" was Sedgwick's response.

"Nothin' much," said Jordan, "only hain't yo' noticed ther newspapers
don't hardly ever git things right?"

Sedgwick acknowledged that he had known them to make mistakes.

"Hain't it jest posserble," said Jordan, "thet what war really the fact
war thet the Gipshins war drowned jest ter git 'em outer ther misery in
this cussed place, and ther Jews war saved jest ter punish 'em?"

"I never thought of that," said Sedgwick. "But if the weather then was
anything like it is now, the theory is not improbable."

"'Zactly," said Jordan. "From ther other side over there ther Israelites
started for Canaan, didn't they?"

"I believe so," was Sedgwick's reply.

"It must uv been like goin' from Tuscon to Fort Yuma in August, don't yo'
think, Jim?" said Jordan.

"Very like, I believe," said Sedgwick.

After a pause Jordan spoke up again: "Jim, it ain't for me ter try ter
understand much, but ther kentry 'round heah and ther people we has seen
kinder breaks me up. They tell us over ther to ther right, man fust cum
outer his wild state; ez yo' has it, that 'ther cradle of civilization
war fust rocked.' For five thousand year, they has been a-tryin'. Look at
'em now! Then over on the other side, the chosen people of God pulled
out; they flourished; they killed their enemies, built cities and
temples; hed big talkers and writers and fiters; fixed up language thet
thrills a man's soul jest ter read it now; made a starter thet the
world's been a-follerin' ever since, and right and left ther whole world
are