THE LAND OF SIN
Egypt is the land of heroes and engineers--also the land of mystery,
the abode of intrigue, the cockpit of puerile nationalism, and the soul
of all things topsy-turvy and contrary. It is a land for a brave
soldier, a skilful engineer, or the tourist in search of Rameses'
shin-bones.
It is a country wet with British blood and paved with British gold.
The noblest things in Egypt are British; the vilest are the products of
aliens who have dodged justice and cleanness through the vagaries of
"The Capitulations" (an international treaty which makes John Bull pay
for the privilege of entertaining alien murderers, white slavers,
forgers, assassins, corrupt financiers, and legal twisters). But it is
a land worth holding, not so much for any riches it may possess, but
for the Suez Canal, which links us to our Indian Empire.
The Egyptians, on the whole, are an industrious and harmless people.
For centuries they have been slaves to Greeks, Romans, Persians, Turks,
and Crusaders from every land. They have been doomed to serve because
of their inability to lead and control. They are content to serve so
long as justice reigns. Egypt to-day is better governed, more
prosperous, happier than it has ever been in its history. Cromer,
Kitchener, the Tommy, the Engineer, and the men of the "Egyptian Civil"
have given their noblest efforts to crush corruption, to kill decay, to
make the native full-fed and serene.
Discontent in Egypt is the work of a few who have cast off their native
garments, donned the clothes of the Westerner, and acquired a
smattering of things. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. These
young _effendis_ are the fools who would step where angels fear to
tread. These malcontents spurred and led Arabi Pasha (a true patriot)
to his doom. The self-same type have recently sent a Khedive into
shame and exile. These so-called "Nationalists" were the willing tools
of German and Austrian agents who aimed at capturing Egypt and
dominating the route to India. Before the war there was a German spy
in every town from Alexandria to Khartoum. These spies even supped at
the table of the late Khedive. While they went their way they smiled
and called us fools. Eagerly they lived for the day when Enver Pasha
(the well-paid Moslem adventurer) would lead his deluded Turks against
the British host.
The great dream of the Khedive, his Nationalists and German agents
failed because of the courage and shrewdness of "K" and his men. While
the world waited for the Holy War and the fall of Egypt, the great
Australian host was quietly landing on Egypt's shores. In this army
were such men as the Kangaroo Marines--fearless, tireless, and ready
for adventure. The tramp, tramp of their feet made traitors shiver and
flee; their physique, their chins, their corded arms spread over the
Delta and the desert a sense of might and courage.
"There can be no rebellion. The Australians are too big, too strong.
Allah is against us," said the wise men in the little hamlets by the
Nile.
"These are white men--not black," muttered an _effendi_ to his friend,
as the Australians marched through intriguing Cairo. Like many
Egyptians, he had imagined Australians to be of a nigger mould.
"Yes, infidels and sons of dogs," growled a priestly fanatic.
"What men--what guns--Allah preserve us!" said many more who had talked
revolution for a while. This, truly, was a bloodless climax to the
schemes of Germany, Turkey, and the Khedive.
Along the sun-baked road to Mena marched the Australians. They were
treading a road made by a great Khedive for the Empress Eugenie to see
the Pyramids in comfort. When they halted they were beneath the shade
of the historic piles of stones. Napoleon's soldiers had been there,
so had Gordon's and Kitchener's heroes. Now these sons of the
Motherland found themselves at the beginning of another historic
mission.
"There's been a lot of overtime on that job," said Bill Buster to his
pals when nearing the Pyramids.
"Wha built them?" inquired Sandy of Claud.
"Rameses built one."
"What for?"
"To keep his fellows from getting tired."
"Sure now," said Paddy, "there's a dog wid a woman's head."
"That's a Sphinx," remarked Claud with a smile.
These ancient things and the general surroundings made all open their
eyes in wonder, and feel that there were more things on earth than
their own little cabbage patch.
They settled down quickly, and having received an enormous haul of cash
in the form of arrears of pay, the Kangaroo Marines and every other
corps set out on donkeys, motor-cars, cabs, camels and carts to see the
sights of Cairo.
"Gee whiz! this is some town," said Bill, on reaching the gay and
dazzling city. The wide streets, oriental buildings, the weird
bazaars, gaily-lit cafés, and veiled women, amazed these simple
Bushmen. It was like "The Arabian Nights," wonderful, alluring,
seductive and strange. All were gripped by the subtle atmosphere of
things. Their blood tingled with the sensuous aroma of the East.
Cheap wine in the cafés of the Greeks let the devil loose, and so they
fell an easy prey to the lures of the bold and handsome wantons of
Cairo. Thus many were duped and robbed.
Australians when wronged must have revenge. An eye for an eye is the
law of the bush. The revenge came in an unexpected way. In one of the
streets where the wantons live an injustice had been done to one of the
boys. The exact reason was never told. But Cairo was soon alarmed by
the shrieks of women, the shouts of fire, and the galloping of mounted
police. Through the glare and smoke could be seen a little army of men
wreaking revenge. Windows were being smashed, a piano was crashed from
above to the ground, doors were torn down, crockery clattered into the
street.
"Allah! Allah! Save us, save us! The mad Australians! The mad
Australians!" cried the cowardly _effendis_ as they fled.
"Help! Help!" screamed the wantons, as they ran like maddened hares.
But the wrecking went on, despite the charging pickets and hoarse
commands from officers and police.
"Here's the fire brigade, boys, capture them," yelled a great hulking
fellow. And they did. With a wild haloo, they captured the engines,
cut the pipes, and terrified the poor gippy firemen out of their lives.
It was an ugly time. And the riot was only quelled by armed pickets
sent from other corps.
"It's a great pity we interfered at all," said a Cairo dignitary that
night.
"Why?" inquired his friend.
"They would have burned the whole dirty place down, and that would have
been the greatest blessing to Cairo."
"Then you don't blame them?"
"No. I think Cairo has been cursed with the vilest creatures God ever
made. Yes, I admit, the Capitulations have hitherto tied our hands.
Thank Heaven Egypt is now a Protectorate. We can clean out these
filthy dens after the war."
"Yes, it is a queer hole, but East is East, and West is West, and never
the twain shall meet," chipped in another member of the club. "It's a
wonder they didn't kill that fellow Hassein."
"Who's he?"
"A rotter who dresses as a woman and runs a crowd of white slaves.
And, by Jove! he looks like a woman too--all scented and faked."
"Oh, he's a law-abiding merchant of sin," said a gippy officer.
"There's a worse person than he here."
"Who's that?"
"Madame Mysterious, who owns dozens of these low shows in Cairo."
"Isn't that the woman who used to buy and sell wives to the rich
_effendis_ and gippy _pashas_?"
"The same. That old Pasha down near Alex is one of her patrons. He's
a proper old rascal. Do you know that he has got women in his harem
who have been educated in some of our greatest schools in England?"
"Not English women, surely?"
"No. Gippy girls, daughters of rich fellows."
"And why shouldn't he?" interjected an old gippy warrior who defended
the customs of the East. "We have no right to force our Western morals
down an Oriental's throat. It is easy to be a moralist in a freezing
climate like ours. The snow makes for virtue; the sun always warps
morality. The harem is as ancient as the sun. And the harem will
remain. It's no good of you fellows hoping to alter it. And, 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."