At Aboukir and Acre | Page 8

on
the other hand, you have made a friend who may be useful. These
Arabs, when they once form a friendship, are as true as steel, and in the
event of any fanatical troubles here, you would find a sure refuge
among them. The lad's father, Aboo Ben Ouafy, I know a little of, as he
has made purchases of me. His tribe is not a large one, but he himself is
a fine fellow. As the lad told you, their head-quarters are in an oasis
some eight or ten miles, I believe, east of the old site of Lake Mareotis.
They, of course, like all those people, are frequently absent on hunting
or plundering expeditions."

The next day Sidi and his father, followed by half a dozen tribesmen,
halted in front of Mr. Blagrove's place of business, and the two former
dismounted and entered. The Bedouin chief saluted the merchant
gravely, while Sidi went up to Edgar, who was sitting at a table, for he
now worked for some hours a day in his father's office, and who rose at
the lad's approach, and held out his hand in English fashion.
"You are none the worse for our scrimmage last night, Sidi?" he said
heartily.
"No harm was done," Sidi replied gravely. "I am glad of what happened,
for it has given me a friend, a brother."
"I am glad too," Edgar replied, "for I too am happy to have gained a
friend."
In the meantime his father was saying to Mr. Blagrove, "I have come,
effendi, to thank you and your son for the assistance he rendered to my
boy yesterday. I have no doubt that he saved his life, and that at the
peril of his own. It is wonderful what my son tells me, that, with his
hands alone he beat to the ground the two men who had attacked him,
though they were armed with knives. I know not how it could be done,
but since it was done 'tis plain that he must possess skill unknown to us.
Sidi has called him brother, and henceforth I shall regard him as a son,
and my tribe will be his should he need their services. I doubt not that
the attack was made in order to gain the horse my son rode, which is
one of famous breed, and would sell at high price at Cairo or any other
of the large towns. I feel sure that they would have killed him in order
that they might carry the horse away without search being made for it,
for before we found that Sidi had been slain the horse would have been
a hundred miles away."
"I know that your tribe is famous for having some of the best Arabian
blood in the country, sheik, and I think it probable that you are right.
The fellows may have seen your son ride into the town and determined
to waylay him on his return."
"Your son did wrong not to kill them," the Arab said, "he will be in

danger from them. I have called not only to thank him, but to ask him
to come and bide with us for a time; he will assuredly be in danger here.
Were I governor of the town I would chop off the heads of all those
people who breed disorders and are a curse to it. 'Tis well that Franks
like yourself should settle among us, and should trade with us, buying
our goods and selling to us those of Europe, but these thieves and
cut-throats, these ruffians who neither trade nor work, but live by
ill-doing, should be rooted out."
"I should be glad for my son to stay with you for a short time, sheik. I
share your opinion that these men will try to avenge themselves, and it
were well that he should be away for a time. Doubtless they will watch
narrowly to see if they can find the young fellow who interfered with
them, but if they meet with no one like him they may well think that he
has left the town."
"It is well!" the Arab said. "I am going now to the governor to lay a
complaint against these men. My son will go with me to tell him what
they are like; the son of a sheik is not to be assaulted by town ruffians
with impunity. We may be kept some time, but when we have done we
will return hither. Will your son be ready to ride with us?"
"Certainly, sheik; it will not take him five minutes to make his
preparations."
"He will not need a horse," the sheik said; "I have brought one with me
for him."
Edgar had listened with delight to this conversation (which was in