geous in coloring, nor do they show
such striking contrasts as I have seen occasionally in my western home,
but they are beautiful."

[Illustration: ALL EYES WERE FIXED ON THE MAGICIAN'S MOVEMENTS.]

During the latter part of our sail down the Nile, where the river
broadened and was shallow, we had some interesting experiences with
sandbars.

"This is the Amasis' last trip of the season," said one of the officers
as we stood on the upper deck at the bow of the steamer watching two
sailors poling below. "The Nile always falls rapidly in the spring, the
channels change, new sandbars form, and navigation becomes difficult.
The water is now very low, and we have to be careful and alert wherever
the river broadens as it does here before us."

On account of the indications of shallowness ahead the Amasis was
steaming very slowly, occasionally merely drifting with the current. The
two Arab boatmen stationed in the bow continually tested the depth of
the water with poles and shouted in Arabic the results of their
measurements to the anxious commander on the deck above. Notwithstanding
these precautions, our steamer occasionally scraped on the sandbars,
sometimes sticking on them for a short time.

"Surely this is an unlucky day," exclaimed the captain later, looking
at his watch as we came within sight of a railroad bridge with a draw in
it that was then being closed for an approaching train. "It is now four
o'clock, and, according to the official rules, that drawbridge is
closed for the day and will not be opened for steamers to pass through
until nine o'clock to-morrow morning. We shall have to anchor here until
that time. That last stop of half an hour on the sandbar robs us of half
a day's time."

[Illustration: SHOVING FROM ITS DECK WITH LONG POLES.]

The delay at the bridge was provoking, but a greater test of the temper
of the officers and patience of the passengers was to come. On Friday
morning while at breakfast we felt a jar that caused the vessel suddenly
to stop. We heard an unusual puffing of the engine and felt vibrations
that caused the steamer to tremble and the dishes to rattle.

"What's the matter? What's the trouble?" cried several.

"Struck another sandbar," laconically remarked the doctor at the end of
the table. "Eat your breakfast. We'll be off in a few minutes."

But succeeding events proved that the doctor was a false prophet. For
during the next twenty hours the Amasis lay helpless in the m