s the sea in their
ships at great expense and much danger, to save those whom they know
not, from the Turks? You might as well expect the lion to come to rescue
a deer attacked by a jackal. He might, it is true, drive it away, but it
would only be that he might himself slay and devour the stag. We have
heard of these Franks, how they have taken Italy and other countries;
and think you, that if they should overpower the Osmanlis and defeat the
Mamelukes, that they will say, 'We have accomplished our purpose, we
have freed you from your oppressors, now we will sail back to France and
leave you to manage your own affairs'?"

"He promises to respect our religion," the sheik said, "to buy horses
and camels from us at fair prices, to give us rich presents, and to
treat us with honour."

"No doubt, no doubt. 'Tis easy to speak soft words when one needs aid,
but such promises are forgotten when the object is attained. To-day he
is the friend of the Arabs, to-morrow he will be their master, and if
we aid these kaffirs against the followers of the Prophet, we shall well
deserve whatever may befall."

"Then you will not go in to the gathering to which he invites us?"

"Assuredly not. Even were it for no other reason, I would wait and see
what comes of the matter. We know not yet that he will conquer the
Mamelukes, and if he fails to do so, assuredly their vengeance will
afterwards fall upon all who have assisted these people."

The sheik cast his eye over Ben Ouafy's cavalcade, as if estimating its
strength. He saw, however, that it contained as many armed men as he had
with him, and if the idea had entered his mind of commencing the
campaign by plundering it, he concluded it must be at once abandoned.

"I have no intention," he said, "of taking part with the Franks against
the government. I am going to sell horses and camels. Frank money is as
good as Turkish, and, moreover, they threaten to attack and destroy
those who refuse to aid them. Your tribe lives far away, though, indeed,
you may abide here at times, and there is nothing of yours that they can
destroy. I have my people to think of, their villages, their flocks and
herds and horses; therefore, I shall go and see this great man, and hear
what he says, and shall, if I can, keep on terms of peace with him. An
army so strong and so fierce that it has captured Alexandria after four
hours' fighting is too formidable for an Arab chief to resist; but,
assuredly, I have no