oots and puttees,
saddles and tents. Men stood in small groups along the deck, shown
only by the embers of pipes and the occasional glow of a match. They
watched the low line of the Egyptian shore, deep black against a sky
which seemed vaster than usual and more brilliant with stars, and were
exhilarated by the knowledge that they would disembark to-morrow in
that queer old country. The mess room was filled for a while with a
cheery, laughing crowd to hear words of warning from an old soldier
concerning the joys and sorrows of Cairo and a few general instructions
on life in Egypt.

The ships stood in towards the entrance to the port just as the rising
sun gilded the houses and minarets of Alexandria. Soon the gangway was
dropped for a pilot to come abroad, and shortly with much chattering
that gentleman appeared on the bridge. The Captain gazed on the
apparition with horror, and the signallers, in security behind the flag
locket, were convulsed with mirth. A pale, underfed little Hebrew,
not, apparently, the cleanest specimen of its race, clad in something
like a dressing-gown and a pair of bath slippers, and topped off by a
red tarboosh tilted well back and continuing the contour of its nose,
it looked about as capable of piloting a ship as a waste-paper-basket.
It chattered away cheerfully to every one on the bridge in a strange
lingo, waved its hands alternately here, there and everywhere, and
faced in all directions in the attitudes of ancient mural figures. It
was serenely unheeding of the business in hand, of the fact that four
ships, occupying the narrow fairway ahead, were slowing down, and that
three others were coming rapidly up behind, promising trouble.

The skipper recovered from his astonishment.

"Which way?" he said, interrupting a friendly jabber to the third
officer.

The figure raised its eyebrows, bared its rabbit teeth and, wildly
waving its arms, poured a stream of unintelligible jargon in the
skipper's direction.

"Shall I stop her?" yelled the skipper.

A wide, inclusive sweep of the arms was the only reply and the
jabbering increased.

"To starboard--or port?" inquired the Captain, indicating each with his
arm.

To both queries the figure energetically nodded assent.

The Captain flushed with anger. The figure looked crest-fallen.

Meanwhile the bows were getting dangerously near the stern of the
vessel ahead, while the ship astern was overlapping the port quarter.
Moles th