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Nothing was the matter, except that the creatures had the sunrise in their eyes, and could see the camel-boys preparing their loads; but I was glad I had come out, because Biddy was there and the scene was beautiful.
The camels roared with rage and surprise; the camel-boys swore Arab oaths; the fire sputtered, and what became of the half-cooked lamb I shall never know. We rushed for the dining-tent, all soaked in an instant, with the exception of Brigit and Monny, whom "Antoun" protected with a long cloak.
What I mean to say is, he's promised to provide me not only with tents, but camels and camel-boys and a camp chef, and waiters and washbowls and a desert dragoman, and thousands of things I'd never thought of. It seems practically certain that since Napoleon no such genius has been born as Slaney.
Dinner was a gloomy feast, which might have been composed of funeral baked meats, though the chef himself came to the door and vowed by all his saints that the lamb cutlets were not from that lamb. So well did he exonerate himself, so eloquently did he protest that he had nothing to do with the camel-boys' orgy, that another special collection was taken up for him.
It is the lamb, they cook for their supper. The genelman, milord, he give them money to buy it." "Lamb?" shrieked Monny, in a wild voice which brought a crowd round us. "Lamb! Not oh, not " "Yes, mees, you all see it feeded when you come home, when you say it so sweet. Camel-boys find sweeter now!" "Oh!" the girl exclaimed. "Fiends!
In front rode the three Berberee body-servants upon donkeys, and behind walked the Arab camel-boys. They had been travelling for nine long hours, ever since the first rising of the moon, at the weary camel-drag of two and a half miles an hour, but now they brightened, both beasts and men, at the sight of the grove and the riderless horses.
The one remaining incident of note was the arrival on the scene, as we left it, of another caravan a small caravan consisting of two Europeans a few laden camels, and camel-boys marshalled by one dragoman. The dragoman was Bedr el Gemaly, and he smiled at us as affectionately as though we had not driven him from us in disgrace.
All of us were eager for the "last camp tea," when we got "home" from our expedition, and it was then that the tragedy happened: the tragedy of the black lamb. How could I guess, when Yusef said the camel-boys wanted money to buy meat as a feast for the last day, that they meant to buy it alive? When we arrived in camp, an idyllic scene was being enacted.
It turns out that they camped not far from us last night. Yusef heard this from one of our camel-boys. But they kept to themselves, and didn't come within a mile of us, so there's nothing to complain of. Every one except Sir John delighted with to-day's desert.
We had to tell the party what we had found in the tent, and what we meant to do next. Sir Marcus was now excused by Mrs. East; but until summoned by us the ladies were to remain where they were, under shelter of the tent which the camel-boys were getting into shape.
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