a sunstroke, or had been seized by the plague. Then the fugitives
dragged others away with them; screaming mothers trying to save their
little ones from the crush on one hand and the contagion on the other,
oversetting one dealer's truck, smashing the eggs and cakes of another.
A whole party were pushed into a deep but half-dried up water-course;
the guardians of the peace flourished their staves, yelling and making
their victims yell in their efforts to restore order--but all this
hardly affected the vast body of spectators, and suddenly peace reigned,
the confusion subsided, the shrieks were silenced. Those who were doomed
might fall or die, be crushed or plague-stricken. Trumpet calls and
singing were heard approaching from the town: the procession, the Bridal
procession was coming! Not a man but would have perished rather than be
deprived of seeing a single act of this stupendous drama.

Those Arabs--what fools they were! Besides the Vekeel only three of
their magnates were present, and those men whom no one knew. Even the
Kadi was nowhere to be seen; and he must have forbidden the Moslem women
to come, for not a single veiled beauty of the harem was visible. Not
one Egyptian woman would have failed to appear if the plague had not
kept so many imprisoned in their houses. Such a thing would never
be seen again; this day's doings would be a tale to tell to future
great-grandchildren!

The music and singing came nearer and nearer; and it did not indeed
sound as if it were escorting a hapless creature to a fearful end. Blast
after blast rang out from the trumpets, filling the air with festive
defiance; cheerful bridal songs came nearer and nearer to the listeners,
the shrill chorus of boys and maidens sounding above the deeper and
stronger chant of youths and men of all ages; flutes piped a gay
invitation to gladness; the dull roar of drums muttered like the distant
waves in time to a march, broken by the clang of cymbals and the tinkle
of bells hung around tambourines held high by girlish hands which
struck, rattled and waved them above their flowing curls; lute players
discoursed sweet music on the strings; and as this vast tide of mingled
tones came closer, behind it there was still more music and more song.

To the ear the procession seemed endless, and the eye soon confirmed the
impression.

All were listening, gazing, watching to see the Bride and her escort.
Every eye seemed compelled to turn in the same dire