a fine sheep and some bread, fruit, etc. I made him a
present of some quinine, rhubarb pills, and sulphate of zinc for eye
lotion. Here you know we all go upon a more than English presumption and
believe every prisoner to be innocent and a victim--as he gets no trial
he _never_ can be proved guilty--besides poor old El-Bedrawee declared he
had not the faintest idea what he was accused of or how he had offended
Effendina.

I listened to all this in extreme amazement, and he said, 'Ah! I know
you English manage things very differently; I have heard all about your
excellent justice.'

He was a stout, dignified-looking fair man, like a Turk, but talking
broad Lower Egypt fellah talk, so that I could not understand him, and
had to get Mustapha and Omar to repeat his words. His father was an
Arab, and his mother a Circassian slave, which gave the fair skin and
reddish beard. He must be over fifty, fat and not healthy; of course he
is _meant_ to die up in Fazoghlou, especially going at this season. He
owns (or owned, for God knows who has it now) 12,000 feddans of fine land
between Tantah and Samanhoud, and was enormously rich. He consulted me a
great deal about his health, and I gave him certainly very good advice.
I cannot write in a letter which I know you will show what drugs a
Turkish doctor had furnished him with to 'strengthen' him in the trying
climate of Fazoghlou. I wonder was it intended to kill him or only given
in ignorance of the laws of health equal to his own?

After a while the pretty boy became better and recovered consciousness,
and his poor father, who had been helping me with trembling hands and
swimming eyes, cried for joy, and said, 'By God the most high, if ever I
find any of the English, poor or sick or afflicted up in Fazoghlou, I
will make them know that I Abu Mahommed never saw a face like the pale
face of the English lady bent over my sick boy.' And then El-Bedrawee
and his fellah kinsman, and all the crew blessed me and the Captain, and
the cawass said it was time to sail. So I gave directions and medicine
to Abu Mahommed, and kissed the pretty boy and went out. El-Bedrawee
followed me up the bank, and said he had a request to make--would I pray
for him in his distress. I said, 'I am not of the Muslimeen,' but both
he and Mustapha said, _Maleysh_ (never mind), for that it was quite
certain I was not of the _Mushkireen_, as they hate the Muslimeen and
their deeds are evil--but blessed