after
all, the Oriental is, at least, honest. He has a harem, the world
knows he has a harem. He is not ashamed of the fact. But what of our
Mayfair bloods, who have their secret 'wives,' and who hunt everybody
else's wife. The Oriental is straight about it--we Westerners are
hypocritical."

"I offer no defence of the harem," said a doctor, "but I've found it a
mighty interesting place when visiting there in a professional
capacity. Do you fellows know that I have met some of the most
intellectual women there. Strange to say, they like the life. And,
after all, they are well cared for. They have money--heaps of
it--beautiful clothes, lovely rooms, servants, carriages, and motors.
They see everything, they do almost everything, and since the
revolution in Turkey they have had greater freedom. Why, they travel
abroad now without their eunuchs. What more does a woman want? Money,
clothes and comfort are everything to an Easterner. In my humble
opinion there is no virtue in an eastern climate. There can never be."

"We've got off the track altogether," said the father of this
discussion. "I am liberal-minded so far as the Egyptians are
concerned. In their own way they are virtuous. And I agree that it is
ridiculous to suggest that we should interfere with any of their social
or religious arrangements. But this riot has again proved to us that
Cairo is a pretty rotten show. We ought to clean it up, and we shall
do so after the war. It will pay us. Let us make Cairo a cleaner and
more charming place. It means health and business to the community.
Why should Cairo be the cesspool of European iniquity? Personally, as
I said before, I'm very sorry the Australians did not burn the whole of
that rotten quarter down."

CHAPTER IV

TREASURE TROVE

"Look here, men," said Colonel Killem, "I want to talk to you about
some interesting things, especially your conduct towards Mohammedans.
First of all, Doolan, tell me what a Mohammedan means?"

"Sure, sir, it manes a nigger who jabbers 'Allah' when yis put a
bayonet in his guts."

"Not exactly; but what would you shout if you got a bayonet in your
tummy."

"A gill of the best, sir."

"Well, now, a Mohammedan's a sort of eastern fanatic who thinks he'll
get a 'corner lot' in Paradise if he reads the Koran and dies on the
edge of your bayonets. Mecca is his holy shrine, and the old Sultan
acts as a sort of elder or high priest who takes up the colle