and
so as we drove down by the Grand Hotel and French Opera House and came
to a palatial-looking building, with brilliantly lighted grounds and
colored awnings extending down to the sidewalk, and looking the sort of
a place that we were in search of, I stopped the carriage and tried to
find out from the driver as best I could what sort of a theater it was.
His answer sounded very much like circus, and I thought that it would
just about fill the bill that evening, as far as Mrs. Anson and I were
concerned. Helping my wife to alight we passed under the awning and by
liveried servants that stood in the doorway, the music of many bands
coming to our ears and the scent of a perfumed fountain whose spray we
could see, to our nostrils.

"This is a pretty swell sort of a circus, isn't it?" I said to my wife,
who nodded her head in reply.

Through the open door we could catch glimpses of large parties of ladies
and gentlemen in full dress, but it had never occurred to me that it
could be anything but what I had understood the driver to say it was, a
circus, and I began to look around for a ticket office in order that I
might purchase the necessary pasteboards. At last, running up against a
dark-complexioned and distinguished-looking man in full uniform, I asked
him if he could tell us where the tickets could be bought.

"Tickets! What tickets?" he asked, in very good English, but in a rather
surprised tone.

"Why, the tickets to the circus here," I answered, nervously, for I
began to fear that I had make a mistake. "There is no circus here, my
friend," said the stranger, as he turned away his head to hide a smile,
"this is my private residence. I am Commander-in-chief of the Egyptian
Army, and am simply entertaining a few friends here tonight. I would be
much pleased if you would remain and--"

"Don't say a word, sir," I replied, feeling cheaper than I had ever felt
in my life, "it is my mistake and I hope you will excuse me," and bowing
my self out as best I could we drove back to the hotel, where Mrs.
Anson, who had been laughing at me all the way back, had of course to
tell the story, the result being that I was guyed about my experience
"at the circus" for some days and weeks after Cairo had become only a
memory. That evening in the office of the hotel the following bulletin
was posted:

"Base-ball at the Pyramids. The Chicago and All-America teams,
comprising the Spalding base-ball party, will please report in the h