riends in Cairo had been the
order of the afternoon following the dawn which had found her grace at
the window trying to come to a decision about her god-daughter. They
were just returning from these festivities and were negotiating the
last cross-roads of the Sharia Abbas when a native policeman, waving
his arm like a semaphore, stepped into the slowly-moving stream of
traffic.

Resulted the usual maelstrom of motors, native vehicles, stray animals
and trams, in which tossed the native pedestrian as, agile and
vociferous, he slipped in and out of the block, calling loudly upon
Allah in his extremity.

"A native wedding, or something," said Damaris, who was driving. "What
fun!" then blushed divinely pink.

There was one gorgeous mounted figure in the laughing, happy,
tumultuous crowd which came whirling across the road kept clear for it
by the police.

Hugh Carden Ali had gone a-hawking in a certain part of the desert near
the ancient City of On, where gazelle is sometimes seen and birds are
plentiful.

Clad in orange satin a-shine with jewels, with tight-fitting Eastern
trousers ending in perfect riding-boots, with diamond osprey glittering
in the white turban and falcon, with jesse to match the orange coat, on
gauntleted wrist, he rode serenely in the cheering throng.

His falconers with their underlings walked on either side of the roan,
which fretted and fidgeted at the slowness of the pace; the dogs of
Billi walked sedately and by themselves; grooms of the kennels led
greyhounds on the leash; behind them, almost bursting with importance,
came a Persian deftly carrying the cadge, which is a kind of padded
stand upon which, hooded and fastened by leashes, the favourite birds
are carried to and fro.

At the rear was the birds' van, in which are carted the birds which may
or may not be required, also spare parts of the paraphernalia upon
which depends the success of this sport, the sport, in truth, of kings!
In the "days that are past" the favourite sport of our own monarchs,
especially in the "spacious days of great Elizabeth."

The bag was good considering the district, the poles on the servants'
shoulders bending under the weight of two gazelle and countless birds
of all sizes and plumage.

A couple of _siyas_ waving the customary horsehair fly-whisk ran
shouting before their master; servants surrounded the cortege, armed
with sticks which they rattled with good effect upon the shins of the
more ventu