ed the back part of the cummerbund and some folds of the
voluminous skirt upon the point of his spear, and, lifting the mite,
amidst yells and shouts and wild clamour, carried him at spear-length
and top speed safely across the square.

Where the real danger comes in is in judging the exact amount of stuff
to gather on the spear-head; an inch or so too much and you may get a
part of the kiddie's little back; an inch or so too little and, when
you have him high in air, you may cut through the cloth and cause said
kiddie to make a hasty descent to _terra firma_.

Anyway, the child was safely restored to its fond mother, who
simultaneously smacked it and stuffed its mouth with fly-blown
sweetmeats, and became the hero for the latter part of the day.

The real cortege was headed by camels bearing gifts from the House
el-Umbar to the great white woman who stood, on the balcony in a grey
silk taffeta dress, a shawl of priceless lace on her head and a grey
parrot upon her shoulder. Silks, jewels, sweetmeats, _bibelots_ in
ivory and precious metal, dates, coffee in berries, a monkey and a
bushel of wheat were amongst the gifts carried by the camels who
grumbled and rumbled as they stalked with swaying gait and contemptuous
half-closed eyes.

Next came the armed escort, mounted on horses, with modern rifles slung
and cummerbunds stuck full of the most atrocious-looking knives. They
scowled at everyone, but as they passed under the balcony each one drew
his knife and rattled it against that of his neighbour so that the
weapons made a glittering arch in the light of the setting sun, as
salutation to the old white woman who was of their mistress's race.

Came Mustapha, the Ethiopian, into whose care the Sheikh had given his
wife all those years ago, when they had ridden out of the desert up to
his dwelling amongst the talik palms of the Flat Oasis.

He was on foot--not that he had done the entire journey in like
manner--and held the golden chain of the magnificent camel upon which
his mistress rode.

She rode in a palanquin of ivory with curtains of rose satin
embroidered in precious stones; on either side, also on camels, rode
two slaves who waved huge circular fans on long staffs to cool the air
about this woman who was so beloved throughout the land for her good
deeds and loving, helping hand.

She was in silk robes of rose covered in a satin cloak of deeper shade;
she was closely veiled as becomes the wife of a Moham