ttitude there was an air of composure
about the figure, of placid acceptance of fate, while his companion cast
never a glance at the towering ship with the throng of white faces
leaning over the rail. To the travellers they themselves might be an
unusual sight, but to the Easterners this passing to and fro was an
ordinary event, of infinitely less importance than the landing of
donkeys!

Suez was an agreeable surprise, with its square white houses clustered
among palm trees, the mountain in the background showing rosy red in the
sunshine. The vessel came to rest in the roads, and the passengers who
were new to the scene welcomed the arrival of a raft of small boats with
their various objects for sale. Bedford pointed out the crates of fresh
vegetables for consumption on the voyage, which had come by train from
the valley of the Nile, but Katrine had no interest to spare for such
mundane articles. Her eyes had caught the gleam of shell and coral, and
her eager gesture pointed her out as a probable prey.

"It's no use saying they are rubbish. I _like_ rubbish!" she declared,
brushing aside Bedford's protest, and nodding her head eagerly in reply
to an outstretched hand. "I have some money in my pocket, and I'm
pining to spend it. I've lived all my life in an English village,
remember, and finery goes to my head. Coral suits me, too. Do make him
come!"

"Don't worry. He'll come fast enough. Do you think you could manage to
stand still, and not--prance? He has doubled his prices already, and
every additional prance will send them flying still higher. In pity to
other buyers--"

"Prance? Who's prancing?" Katrine turned an indignant face, but
suddenly discovering herself perched on the tops of her toes, abandoned
the attempt at dignity, and laughed instead. "Don't preach! This is my
holiday. I'm not accustomed to negroes walking up ropes with trays of
mysterious gems.--I shall be as excited as ever I please!"

Meantime one of the negroes manning the small craft was deftly making
his way towards the main deck. The rope grasped firmly between his
great toe and the next, he walked up the halyards bearing the tray of
gewgaws with an easy balance, the while the Arab trader leaned his
weight on the edge of the boat nearest the ship, making it keel over
until the climber could step on board. So swiftly, nimbly, and
smilingly, was the feat accomplished that the onlookers had hardly time
to realise the wonder