Egypt, Its Highways and Byways; With Some Peeps Into Nooks and Corners of Cairo and Alexandria - Tapa blanda

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1882. Excerpt: ... There was little time for thought; but the idea did actually flash across my mind that there was a ludicrous parallel between this, my first experience of Orientals, and that of Gil Bias on his start in life; he on his uncle's mule, counting his coin, the invalided soldier with his hat on the ground for the reception of "alms," whilst his eye was fixed on the sight of his antiquated arquebus. These reflections, if such they could be called, did not, however, cause me to make any delay in instinctively preparing for resistance and retaliation with the only means at my command. My only weapon was a lady's silk-umbrella (the gift of my step-mother); it had an inlaid ivory-handle, and a #ry sharp ferrule. I brought this quickly up under my arm, directing the point of the sharp ferrule straight at the glaring eye before me; he only had one, having lost the other, I suppose--as so many of his fellows had--in his efforts to avoid the Conscription. My friend flinched very naturally, and I instantly seized the opportunity of administering the ferrule to the hips and sides of my mount, which, all unused to such sharp persuasion, plunged forward and freed me from my Arab and his satellite, who had been busy rifling my pockets, the temptation to do so having been too great to resist, whereas he ought to have made himself useful by knocking me on the head, as no doubt previously arranged. I continued to prod my steed most energetically, and, having got him into a steady canter, ventured to glance over my shoulder, and was delighted to observe that my Arab and his A.D.C. were "toiling after me in vain!" the elder rascal being much hampered by his heavy cloak and prodigious turban, and the younger one continuing the chase perfunctorily as it were, and having a wholesome...