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generosity was to have upon us later on.
At our guide's suggestion, we passed from the commercial, through the European
quarter, to a large mosque situated in Arab Town. It was a long walk, but we
were promised that we should see something there that would amply compensate
us for any trouble we might be put to to reach it. This turned out to be the
case, but hardly in the fashion he had predicted.
The mosque was certainly a fine building, and at the time of our visit was
thronged with worshippers. They knelt in two long lines, reaching from end to
end, their feet were bare, and their heads turned towards the east. By our
guide's instructions we removed our boots at the entrance, but fortunately,
seeing what was to transpire later, took the precaution of carrying them into
the building with us. From the main hall we passed into a smaller one, where a
number of Egyptian standards, relics of the war of '82, were unrolled for our
inspection. While we were examining them, our guide, who had for a moment left
us, returned with a scared face to inform us that there were a number of
English tourists in the mosque who had refused to take their boots off, and
were evidently bent on making trouble. As he spoke the ominous hum of angry
voices drifted in to us, increasing in volume as we listened. Our guide
pricked up his ears and looked anxiously at the door.
"There will be trouble directly," he said solemnly, "if those young men do not
behave themselves. If messieurs will be guided by me, they will be going. I
can show them a backway out."
For a moment I felt inclined to follow his advice, but Beckenham's next speech
decided me to stay.
"You will not go away and leave those stupid fellows to be killed?" he said,
moving towards the door into the mosque proper. "However foolish they may have
been, they are still our countrymen, and whatever happens
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62
we ought to stand by them."
"If you think so, of course we will," I answered, "but remember it may cost us
our lives. You still want to stay? Very good, then, come along, but stick
close to me."
We left the small anteroom, in which we had been examining the flags, and
passed back into the main hall.
Here an extraordinary scene presented itself.
In the furthest corner, completely hemmed in by a crowd of furious Arabs, were
three young Englishmen, whose faces plainly showed how well they understood
the dangerous position into which their own impudence and folly had enticed
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them.
Elbowing our way through the crowd, we reached their side, and immediately
called upon them to push their way towards the big doors; but before this
manoeuvre could be executed, someone had given an order in
Arabic, and we were all borne back against the wall.
"There is no help for it!" I cried to the biggest of the strangers. "We must
fight our way out. Choose your men and come along."
So saying, I gave the man nearest me one under the jaw to remember me by,
which laid him on his back, and then, having room to use my arms, sent down
another to keep him company. All this time my companions were not idle, and to
my surprise I saw the young Marquis laying about him with a science that I had
to own afterwards did credit to his education. Our assailants evidently did
not expect to meet with this resistance, for they gave way and began to back
towards the door. One or two of them drew knives, but the space was too
cramped for them to do much harm with them.
"One more rush," I cried, "and we'll turn them out."
We made the rush, and next moment the doors were closed and barred on the last
of them. This done, we paused to consider our position. True we had driven the
enemy from the citadel, but then unless we could find a means of escape, we
ourselves were equally prisoners in it. What was to be done?
Leaving three of our party to guard the doors, the remainder searched the
adjoining rooms for a means of escape; but though we were unsuccessful in our
attempt to find an exit, we did what was the next best thing to it, discovered
our cowardly guide in a corner skulking in a curious sort of cupboard.
By the time we had proved to him that the enemy were really driven out, and
that we had possession of the mosque, he recovered his wits a little, and
managed, after hearing our promise to throw him to the mob outside unless he
discovered a means of escape for us, to cudgel his brains and announce that he
knew of one.
No sooner did we hear this, than we resolved to profit by it. The mob outside
was growing every moment more impatient, and from the clang of steelshod rifle
butts on the stone steps we came to the conclusion that the services of a
force of soldiery had been called in. The situation was critical, and twice
imperious demands were made upon us to open the door. But, as may be supposed,
this we did not feel inclined to do.
"Now, for your way out," I said, taking our trembling guide, whose face seemed
to blanch whiter and whiter with every knock upon the door, by the shoulders,
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