which had no
bullets) and whether the robbers were frightened, or the man was only a
wolf, we heard no more of the affair. My crew were horribly frightened,
and kept awake till daybreak.

The last night before reaching Keneh, the town forty miles north of
Luxor, my men held a grand fantasia on the bank. There was no wind, and
we found a lot of old maize stalks; so there was a bonfire, and no end of
drumming, singing and dancing. Even Omar relaxed his dignity so far as
to dance the dance of the Alexandria young men; and very funny it all
was. I laughed consumedly; especially at the modest airs and graces of a
great lubberly fellow--one Hezayin, who acted the bride--in a
representation of a Nubian wedding festivity. The new song of this year
is very pretty--a declaration of love to a young Mohammed, sung to a very
pretty tune. There is another, rather like the air of 'Di Provenza al
mar' in the 'Traviata,' with extremely pretty words. As in England,
every year has its new song, which all the boys sing about the streets.

I hope, darling, you are sapping this year, and intend to make up a bit
for lost time. I hear you have lost no time in growing tall at all
events--'ill weeds, etc.'--you know Omar desires all sorts of messages to
you.

January 15, 1866: Sir Alexander Duff Gordon

_To Sir Alexander Duff Gordon_.

_Monday_, _January_ 15, 1866.

DEAREST ALICK,

I hear that Mr. and Miss North are to be here in a day or two. I hope
you may have sent my saddle by them, for I want it sadly--mine is just
possible for a donkey, but quite too broken for a horse.

Two great Sheykhs of Bishareen and Abab'deh came here and picked me up
out walking alone. We went and sat in a field, and they begged me to
communicate to the Queen of England that they would join her troops if
she would invade Egypt. One laid my hand on his hand and said 'Thou hast
3,000 men in thy hand.' The other rules 10,000. They say there are
30,000 Arabs (bedaween) ready to join the English, for they fear that the
Viceroy will try to work and rob them like the fellaheen, and if so they
will fight to the last, or else go off into Syria. I was rather
frightened--for them, I mean, and told them that our Queen could do
nothing till 600 Sheykhs and 400 Ameers had talked in public--all whose
talk was printed and read at Stambool and Cairo, and that they must not
think of such a