16 THE DOWNFALL OF THE DERVISHES

cook came to me in the evening, and amid the laughter of my friends, solemnly presented me

with a worked cholera belt, which, he declared,

his swarthy daughter had expressly knitted

for my comfort in the Sudan. With many blushes I accepted this useful present.

Our stores were purchased from Messrs. Walker of Cairo, a veritable firm of Egyptian Whiteleys, from whom one can buy anything, from condensed milk to a trotting camel. It

is on occasions like this that a bachelor, un- accustomed to anything like a quantitative analysis of the food he consumes from day

to day, deplores the absence of feminine assist- ance. He knows what he wants but not how much of it. Acting under the prejudiced

advice of a chocolate-coloured shopman, we

laid in large quantities of things comparatively

useless, and neglected the weightier matters.

For example, our rice gave out after three weeks, while we had enough pepper to last

us a lifetime.

We were altogether very busy in Cairo, and had little time for any side issues. This was a pity, as my companion wished

to visit the pyramids, the mosques, and so