“To the desert!” the dragoman repeated.

“Yes, I want to see gazelles hunted by eagles,” and the grave Arab looked into Owen’s blonde face, evidently thinking him a petulant child.

“But your Excellency—­” He began to talk to Owen of the length of the journey—­twenty days at least; they would require seven, eight, or ten camels; and Owen pointed to the camels of the bedouins from the Sahara.  The dragoman felt sure that his Excellency had not examined the animals carefully; if his Excellency was as good a judge of camels as he was of horses, he would see that these poor beasts required rest; nor were they the kind suited to his Excellency.  So did he talk, making it plain that he did not wish to travel so far, and when Owen admitted that he had not fixed a time to return to Tunis the dragoman appeared more unwilling than ever.

“Well, I must look out for another dragoman”; and remembering that one of his escort spoke French, and that himself had learned a little Arabic, he told the dragoman he might return to Tunis.

“Well, my good man, what do you want me to do?” And seeing that the matter would be arranged with or without him, the Arab offered his assistance, which was accepted by Owen, and it now remained for the new dragoman to pay commission to the last, and for both to arrange with the Saharians for the purchase of their camels and their guidance.  Laghouat was Owen’s destination; from thence he could proceed farther into the desert and wander among the different archipelagoes until the summer drove him northward.

The sale of the camels—­if not their sale, their hire—­for so many months was the subject of a long dispute in which Owen was advised not to interfere.  It would be beneath his dignity to offer any opinion, so under the tamarisks he sat smoking, watching the Arabs taking each other by the shoulders and talking with an extraordinary volubility.  It amused him to watch two who appeared to have come to an understanding.  “They’re saying, ’Was there ever any one so unreasonable?  So-and-so, did you hear what he said?’” Drawing long pipes from their girdles, these two would sit and smoke in silence till from the seething crowd a word would reach them, and both would rush back and engage in the discussion as violently as before.

Sometimes everything seemed to have been arranged and the dragoman approached Owen with a proposal, but before the proposal could be put into words the discussion was renewed.

“In England such a matter as the sale of a few camels would not occupy more than half a dozen minutes.”

“All countries have their manners and all have their faults,” the dragoman answered, an answer which irritated Owen; but he had to conceal his irritation, for to show it would only delay his departure, and he was tired of hawking, tired of the lake and anxious to see the great desert and its oases.  And he felt it to be shameful to curse the camels.  Poor animals! they had come a long way and required a few days’ rest before beginning their journey homewards.