th.

"You want guide?" he says, hastening to the fray and sending the other
men flying with "Imshi, imshi!" "Me good guide, beest guide in Cairo,
show you Pyramids, all-a sights, verry cheap, sirr, me show you, only
ten shillings, citadel and----"

"I don't want a guide, thank you."

The gentleman's knowledge of English is limited apparently, for he
doesn't understand that. In exactly the same tone in which he has just
spoken he begins again, "Me good guide, showing you all sights, cheap,
verry cheap, Pyramids, telling you all things, bazaar, only eight
shilling----"

By the time he has worked himself through all the grades down to two
shillings, his eye falls on two other newly arrived tourists, evidently
Americans, and he rushes upon the fresh prey. Luckily our car comes in
sight just then, for a second dragoman, as these guides are called, has
just caught sight of us and is racing across the street as fast as his
legs will carry him.

As the tram starts we hear his desperate "Me verry good guide,
best--bazaar----" He is quite willing to risk his life in jumping on to
the moving tram at the smallest sign from us, so we simply hold our
breath and resolve not to wink an eyelid until the danger is past.

[Illustration: THE PYRAMIDS AND SPHINX.]

* * * * *

So those are the Pyramids!

We have arrived after a very cold and rather monotonous run of about an
hour.

Was there ever a time when one had not heard of the Pyramids and
pictured their vast triangles rising out of the desert? But for my part,
I had always imagined them set far off in solitude so that one came upon
them gradually, seeing them first as mere hillocks in the immensity of
the sand. Instead of that they spring upon us suddenly, rearing up on a
height as the tram speeds toward them along a tree-shaded road across a
vast artificial lake.

The lake is picturesque, studded with little islands and promontories
covered with houses and palm trees, so also are the groups of donkeys
and camels with their attendant men waiting at the terminus for
tourists, but these things disperse the mystery to which we had looked
forward. The large and comfortable hotel at the foot of the white
winding road which leads up to the Pyramids is doubtless useful, but----

As we approach on foot we experience surprise to see that the blocks of
which the largest Pyramid is composed are so small they look almost like
bricks. Pictures show th