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Shady Heatherby, who cheated at cards!

Once Fielding made as if to put a hand on his shoulder and speak to him, but Dicky intervened with a look. The two drank their coffee, Fielding a little uneasily; but yet in his face there was a new look: of inquiry, of kindness, even of hope.

Presently Dicky flashed a look and nodded towards the door, and Fielding dropped his cigar and went on deck, and called down to Holgate the engineer:

“Get up steam, and make for Luxor. It’s moonlight, and we’re safe enough in this high Nile, eh, Holgate?”

“Safe enough, or aw’m a Dootchman,” said Holgate. Then they talked in a low voice together. Down in the saloon, Dicky sat watching Heatherby. At last the Lost One raised his head again.

“It’s worth more to me, this night, than you fellows know,” he said brokenly.

“That’s all right,” said Dicky. “Have a cigar?”

He shook his head. “It’s come at the right time. I wanted to be treated like an Englishman once more–just once more.”

“Don’t worry. Take in a reef and go steady for a bit. The milk’s spilt, but there are other meadows….” Dicky waved an arm up the river, up towards the Soudan!

The Lost One nodded, then his eyes blazed up and took on a hungry look. His voice suddenly came in a whisper.

“Gordon was a white man. Gordon said to me three years ago: ‘Come with me, I’ll help you on. You don’t need to live, if you don’t want to. Most of us will get knocked out up there in the Soudan.’ Gordon said that to me. But there was another fellow with Gordon who knew me, and I couldn’t face it. So I stayed behind here. I’ve been everything, anything, to that swine, Selamlik Pasha; but when he told me yesterday to bring him the daughter of the Arab he killed with his kourbash, I jibbed. I couldn’t stand that. Her father had fed me more than once. I jibbed–by God, I jibbed! I said I was an Englishman, and I’d see him damned first. I said it, and I shot the horse, and I’d have shot him–what’s that?”

There was a churning below. The Amenhotep was moving from the bank.

“She’s going–the boat’s going,” said the Lost One, trembling to his feet.

“Sit down,” said Dicky, and gripped him by the arm. “Where are you taking me?” asked Heatherby, a strange, excited look in his face.

“Up the river.”

He seemed to read Dicky’s thoughts–the clairvoyance of an overwrought mind: “To–to Assouan?” The voice had a curious far-away sound.

“You shall go beyond Assouan,” said Dicky. “To–to Gordon?” Heatherby’s voice was husky and indistinct.

“Yes, here’s Fielding; he’ll give you the tip. Sit down.” Dicky gently forced him down into a chair. Six months later, a letter came to Dicky from an Egyptian officer, saying that Heatherby of the Buffs had died gallantly fighting in a sortie sent by Gordon into the desert.

“He had a lot of luck,” mused Dicky as he read. “They don’t end that way as a rule.”

Then he went to Fielding, humming a certain stave from one of Watts’s hymns.

GLOSSARY

Aiwa, effendi—-Yea, noble sir. Allah—-God. Allah-haly ‘m alla-haly—-A singsong of river-workers. Allah Kerim—-God is bountiful. Allshu Akbar—-God is most Great. A’l’meh—-Female professional singers Antichi—-Antiquities.

Backsheesh—-Tip, douceur, bribe. Balass—-Earthen vessel for carrying water. Basha—-Pasha. Bersim—-Grass. Bimbashi—-Major. Bishareen—-A native tribe. Bismillah—-In the name of God. Bowab—-A doorkeeper.

Corvee—-Forced labour.

Dahabeah—-A Nile houseboat with large lateen sails.

Darabukkeh—-A drum made of a skin stretched over an earthenware funnel. Doash—-(Literally) Treading. A ceremony performed on the return of the Holy Carpet from Mecca.

Dourha—-Maize.

Effendina—-Highness. El aadah—-The ordinary. El Azhar—-The Arab University at Cairo. Fantasia—-Celebration with music, dancing, and processions. Farshoot—-The name of a native tribe. Fatihah—-The opening chapter of the Koran, recited at weddings, etc.

Feddan—-The most common measure of land–a little less than an acre. Also dried hay. Fellah (plu. fellaheen)—-The Egyptian peasant. Felucca—-A small boat, propelled by oars or sails. Fessikh—-Salted fish. Ghaffirs—-Humble village officials.

Ghawdzee—-The tribe of public dancing-girls. A female of this tribe is called “Ghazeeyeh,” and a man “Ghazee,” but the plural Ghawazee is generally understood as applying to the female.

Ghimah—-The Mahommedan Sunday.

Gippy—-Colloquial name for an Egyptian soldier.

Goolah—-Porous water-jar of Nile mud.

Hakim—-Doctor.

Hanouti—-Funeral attendants. Hari-kari—-An Oriental form of suicide. Hashish—-Leaves of hemp. Inshallah—-God willing. Jibbeh—-Long coat or smock, worn by dervishes. Kavass—-An orderly. Kemengeh—-A cocoanut fiddle. Khamsin—-A hot wind of Egypt and the Soudan.

Khedive—-The title granted in 1867 by the Sultan of Turkey to the ruler of Egypt. Khiassa—-Small boat. Khowagah—-Gentleman. Koran—-The Scriptures of the Mahommedans. Kourbash—-A stick, a whip.

La ilaha illa-llah—-There is no God but God. Mafish—-Nothing. Magnoon—-Fool. Malaish—-No matter. Mamour—-A magistrate. Mankalah—-A game. Mastaba—-A bench. Mejidieh—-A Turkish Order. Mirkaz—-District. Moghassils—-Washers of the dead. Moufetish—-High steward. Mudir—-A Governor of a Mudirieh or province. Muezzin—-The sheikh of the mosque who calls to prayer. Mushrabieh—-Lattice window.

Naboot—-Quarter staff. Narghileh—-The Oriental tobacco-pipe. Nehar-ak koom said—-Greeting to you. Omdah—-The head of a village.

Ooster—-One of the best sort.

Ramadan—-The Mahommedan season of fasting. Reis—-Pilot.

Saadat el basha—-Excellency.

Sais—-Groom.

Sakkia—-Persian water-wheel.

Salaam—-A salutation of the East; an obeisance, performed by bowing very low and placing the right palm on the forehead and on the breast.

Sarraf—-An accountant.

Shadoof—-Bucket and pole used by natives for lifting water.

Sha’er—-A reciter. (The singular of Sho’ara, properly signifying a poet.)

Sheikh-el-beled—-Head of a village.

Shintiyan—-Very wide trousers, worn by the women of the middle and higher orders.

Sitt—-“The Lady.”

Tarboosh—-Fez or native turban. Tarah—-A veil for the head.

Ulema—-Learned men.

Waled—-A boy. Wekeel—-A deputy. Welee—-A favourite of Heaven; colloquially a saint.

Yashmak—-A veil for the lower part of the face. Yelek—-A long vest or smock, worn over the shirt and shintiyan.

Zeriba—-A palisade