The Hawk of Egypt

e days we

fate

web of day

r d

NBU

akbar-la ila

t of the narrow street into the Khan el-Khalili. Shrill and sweet, from far and near it came, calling the faithful to prayer, impelling merchants to

e shelter of the masharabeyeh, the harem lattice of finely-carved wood. Yards of silk of every hue lay tumbled inside and outside the dukkan or shop in the silk-market; silken scarves, plain and embroidered, hung from s

oping barku, talked softly together as they watched the beautiful girl who serenely and

prayer, so that a sun-ray silting in through the silks blazed down upon the positively red curls which rioted all over

o appear black. She was slim and supple, unencumbered by anything more confining than a suspender-belt, a fortnight off he

who, having quickly replaced his shoes, had as hastily returned to his shop, his heart rejoicing at the prospec

r the silk-market where can be purchased anything from

d by the gods in the ways of looks. Damaris Hethencourt most certainly ought not to have been there, but you must perforce fo

the graciousness of her manner, for she smiled when she

mpion, on the leash, she wended her way through the narrow streets in which two camels may s

s which unceasingly bark; cracking of whips; shrill cries of "Dahrik ya sitt or musyu," ("Thy back, lady, or sir"); shouts of U'a u'a; c

he od

trail of smoke and onions; the milk of goats; the reek of humanity; the breath of kine. Make a bundle of that, and ti

cribing the sme

streets-takes place twice a month in a small square near the Suk-en Nahlesin; but as t

aws or hoofs; the purchasers stand still farther off; there sometimes occurs a free fight, when the length of the c

hat locality specialises in the shahin, which is a species of hawk; visits the market by appo

looked round for shelter, which she found in an arched

o stood unattended in the open market. They giggled in the insufferable Eastern way, and pointed across the Square, where the whole of the male population surged about two men. But Zulannah, the recognise

g hawk or nestling taken from the nest-of the same species upon a padded and spiked perch beside him, whilst hooded or with seeled eye

at the girl's eyes rested, nor, peradvent

best-beloved son of Hahmed the Sheikh el-Umbar and Jill, his beautiful, English and on

hed the dog; and still further back, when the man suddenly turned and looked across the Square as thoug

first to wonder as to th

Yapp, he looked, except for the hea

g really out of the ordinary, just as the eyes were an ordinary kind of brown, with a disconcerting way of looki

r maybe it was the strength of the jaw which belied the gentleness, just as the slimness of the six-foot of body, trained to a hair

omed to the far horizon as a background; he was slow in s

o use whatever-none. In the West, his reserve with men had been labelled taciturnity or swollen-headeduess, which did not fit the case at

es were concerned, and his stables in the Oasis of Khargegh would

ng years; respected by the upper Forms and worshipped by the lower, he had developed the English side

e; then had quite suddenly thrown u

o

his indifference to wo

place, sordid little story which had taught

autiful but predatory, whose looks were taking on an autumnal tint, an

ene of anger on her part, when, forgetting her breeding, her birth and her national

ering a word, white to t

marry you-a half-caste?" had cried the wo

d as he bent to pick up her torn, h

escribable hurt in the eyes of their firstborn, yet asked no question, for in Egypt a youth is his own mast

pose of putting his stables in order and his falconers through a st

h-bred Arab; and, Mohammedan from belief as well as early training,

any hint anent the desirability of his taking a wife and establishing the succession of the House 'an Mahabbha, which is th

g cheetahs, his dogs; one great treasure

ich had stood as the symbol of the North in the glorious days of Ancient Egypt. The wings were of emeralds tipped with rubies; gold were the claws and

d of Death, its value could not even be guessed at; and how it had come into the possession

oats, and the fine linen and satins of his Eastern raiment he had the

h one-half of his lineage and his love for his birds

e, having followed the path which Fate had marked o