CHAPTER XIX
ON THE SHIPS OF THE DESERT
Egyptian goods were flying in all directions. A saakka, or watercarrier, who had been delivering his wares to the merchant, landed onhis back in the middle of the street, followed by a varied assortment oforiental wares.
The Nubian merchant had bolted through a rear opening and made hisescape to a back yard, from which he watched the destruction of hisstock. The jackies, as soon as they were able to control theirmerriment, rushed in, pounced upon and captured the mad donkey. From thewreck they hauled out the red-headed boy, much the worse for hisexperience.
Several Nubian police had hurried to the scene and a great crowd hadbeen attracted by the uproar. The Nubian was wringing his hands andwailing over his loss.
"Sam Hickey, you did that on purpose," said Davis sternly. "You drovethat donkey in there to get even with the Nubian."
"I didn't. What are you talking about?"
"You know what I am talking about. You have ruined his stock. What areyou going to do about it?"
"Let him buy some new stuff. I don't care what he does."
"Fellows, shall we pass the hat for the bazaar man?"
"Yes; pass the fez," shouted the sailors.
"I'll put in two dollars' worth," announced Dan. "That is, as near as Ican figure it. Come, Sam."
"Not for mine!" growled Hickey.
"Put up or get a thrashing," commanded Dan.
Sam reluctantly went down in his pocket and clumped a handful of moneyinto the red fez.
"Backsheesh!" cried the beggars at sight of the money, crowding incloser, their eyes wide and avaricious.
"You'll get 'backsheesh' if you don't clear out of here mighty quick,"warned the jackies. "Charge them, fellows!"
With a yell the sailors mounted their donkeys and rode right at thepersistent beggars. There followed a great scattering and yelling. TheNubian policemen stood about, solemn-faced, but making no effort tointerfere. The sailors returned to the bazaar and dismounted.
Finally, the collection having been taken up, Davis walked into thebooth and handed the money to the merchant.
"We are sorry to have damaged your stock, sir, but it was an accident,"said Dan.
The merchant wailed and wrung his hands.
"This will pay you for your loss. As a matter of fact, I think you havemade enough out of our crowd already to pay you for all the damage wehave done."
"Say, honest, Sam, what did you do to that donkey to make him cut up inthat way?" demanded Dan, coming out of the bazaar.
"I told you I didn't do it. His rudder got jammed; that's what was thematter with the beast. As soon as I got both engines going ahead fullspeed there wasn't any more trouble."
Once more the boys started off down the street, singing and shouting.Hickey's mount was now as meek as a spring lamb, but the other men kepta good distance away from the red-headed boy, not knowing at what minutethe donkey might have another fit.
At last the donkey riders began to tire of their sport. Just then thewatchmen in the towers began to cry out the hour of midnight.
"Eight bells," sang out Dan Davis.
"All lights are burning brightly," mocked another.
"Yes, but they will all be out soon," answered Dan. "Time to pipe uphammocks."
"Oh, not yet," protested Sam.
"Yes, now. We've had a fine time to-night, but we have another day aheadof us. Remember, we're going to see some wonderful sights to-morrow."
"Dynamite is right," called out several. "We'll all pipe down."
"Where do we stay?"
"That has all been arranged for. We go back to the station, where theboatswain's mate will be waiting for us. Sam, you and I are going overto the hotel."
"The Shepherd's Crook, or something of that sort?"
"Shepherd's Hotel, you mean," laughed Dan. "Yes; we are veryextravagant, but we do not get a chance to see real life very often."
Arriving at the station, the Battleship Boys bade their companions goodnight, and made their way to the hotel where they had decided to stop.They had picked out the most fashionable hotel in the Egyptian capital,but they were made welcome, and the Americans, of whom there were manythere, took the boys up enthusiastically. It was with difficulty thatDan and Sam got away from them finally. That night, for the first timein many months, the lads slept in a real bed.
They did not sleep well. They missed the swaying hammock, the fresh saltbreeze blowing over them and the swish or roar of the waves against theside of the ship--sounds that had grown to be a part of their veryexistence.
At last, as day was peeping in through the open windows, they fell intoa sound sleep, from which they did not awaken until late in the morning.
At eleven o'clock that morning the boys presented themselves at theGizeh Palace, where they were to take the train that would carry themwell on their way toward the Pyramids.
Others of their shipmates came straggling along, and within an hournearly all were there, some having decided to remain in the city andfinish their sight-seeing there in preference to going out on thedesert.
Every man of them was bright-eyed, happy, and ready for whatever the daymight bring forth.
At Gizeh station, some seven miles from the city, all the passengerswere hustled out for a change of cars.
"Do we walk?" came a chorus of demands. "How far is it?"
"No; we take ship from here," answered Davis, with a quizzical smile.
"A ship?" demanded Hickey incredulously.
"Yes."
"Pooh! You're joking. This is a desert, not a sea."
"You will see."
"Pipe down punning. It's too hot to laugh," commanded a voice.
Dan, with the boatswain's mate, had arranged a surprise for theirshipmates, a new experience for every man of the party.
Headed by the Battleship Boys and the boatswain's mate, the bluejacketswalked away from the station for a short distance. Suddenly they came toan open space of sand. There, lounging about, was a large group ofBedouins, clad in long, flowing robes, wearing turbans and armed withlong, stout sticks. Beyond the Bedouins, their many-jointed legs foldedunder them, lay a herd of camels with half-closed eyes and disdainfullycurling lips.
"See that hump!" yelled the jackies the moment they set eyes on theungainly beasts. "There are some bumps for you."
"See them feed the babies," cried a chorus of voices.
Several camel owners were squatting in front of their animals stuffinglittle balls of grass down the throats of the beasts, while the latterchewed lazily.
"Where's the ships?" demanded Hickey, looking about him expectantly.
"There they are," answered Dan, with glowing face. "That is the surprisewe have in store for you."
"What, camels?"
"Yes. Otherwise known as 'ships of the desert.'"
"Are--are we to ride those things?'
"If you wish. All of those who prefer may go the rest of the way bytrain. It is a short journey, but we thought you would like it."
"Like it? No train for us! Hurrah for the hunch backs!" came theanswering clamor.
Few chose the train, it is needless to say. All was excitement,everybody trying to talk at once, and to this the Bedouins added theirchatter in Arabic, interspersed here and there with an English word. Thecamels, catching something of the excitement of the moment, lumbered totheir feet. The boys glanced at the great height of the beasts ratherapprehensively.
"Where are the ladders?" demanded a voice.
"Ladders?"
"Yes; it will take a ladder or a flying machine to get aboard thoseships. I don't know whether I want to take the chance or not," saidHickey.
"Line up here, boys," commanded Dan. "All ready, Mr. Bedouin."
The camel drivers uttered short, sharp commands to their animals,whereupon the beasts got down on their knees.
"All aboard!" called Dan. "No Jacob's ladders here; you will have toclimb."
The boys piled on, so many getting aboard the
first one that the beastwas unable to rise. It toppled over sideways, spilling all thepassengers overboard into the sand.
"Attention!" shouted Dan. "Let's do this thing right or we'll never getto the Pyramids. One at a time. There, that's right."
At last all were up, Dan on the back of the tallest camel at the head ofthe line.
"All right, back there?"
"Wait; I'm sliding off!" howled Sam.
"Anybody got a rabbit's foot in his pocket? If so, pass it along toCoxswain Hickey."
"I'm off. Wow!"
Sam hit the ground, sending up a little cloud of yellow dust. Thejackies burst into a roar.
"Leave him! Let him walk!"
"Yes, go on. It will do him good."
The camels started off, with every man on them shouting suggestions topoor Sam, who had regained his feet and was racing along trying to keepup with the camels, and hurling threats at his companions in adust-choked voice.