the same time he was not a welcome companion, and I protested against any Susi being put into our tent, as it was already much overcrowded, but no notice was taken. I began to think that our treatment was not going to be as good as we had been led to expect, but we were all cheered by the arrival of a hamper from the Hassani, brought in by the steward of the steamer, in whom we recognised Giluli's would-be interpreter. Lager beer, wine, spirits, and, above all, a box of fifty cigars, met our delighted vision, and we were loud in our praises of Captain Siebert's generosity and hospitality to an unfortunate countryman in distress.* The cigars were particularly welcome, as we couldn't raise a pipeful of tobacco between us, and we were just settling ourselves down to enjoy the luxury of a smoke and a drink of lager beer, when we were interrupted by the entry of two or three soldiers, who immediately set to work to search us, and relieve us of anything that might be found upon us. It was not a very profitable haul they had, as Beyerle and I had already gone through one plundering process, and the other three had not overburdened themselves with portable property on coming ashore. Beyerle again succeeded in concealing his signet-ring, but was despoiled of his diary, which he begged hard, but in vain, to be allowed to retain. That note-book ultimately found its way into the hands of the Sultan, who caused it to be translated from French, in which it was written, into Arabic, and who was, I hope, edified by what he found there set down. I was more fortunate in that respect, as mine was concealed, with a pencil,

* The incident was subsequently robbed of some of its charm by Captain Siebert presenting a pretty stiff bill to Beyerle on his arrival in Tangier.

in an inside pocket of my khaki jacket, which was buttoned up, and it never occurred to my stripper that I had anything there. My pipe also escaped capture once more, and my tobacco-pouch, which had been returned to me by young Mulud as haluf (pigskin).

The tattoo of drums and a flourish of trumpets in front of the Kaid's tent announced sunset, and, to our dismay, brought our gaolers once more to our tent, carrying chains and irons, which they flung down with an ominous clank. We were not long left in doubt as to the object of these accursed fetters, for without any ceremony or ado they proceeded to put round the neck of each of us a heavy iron collar which opened on a hinge, and was fitted at each end with two large projecting flanges pierced with eyelet-holes. When the collar was adjusted round the neck, an oblong iron loop was slipped over the two projections, thus closing the collar, and a long chain passed through the eyelet-holes, the ends of the chain being brought together and fastened with a padlock, which was placed outside the tent under the eye of a guard. Instead of a collar, an anklet was fastened round the leg of the Susi boy, and in that manner the six of us were chained together. We protested vehemently against this indignity, but they jokingly told us that as we were so near the sea the Kaid was afraid we might escape and swim away to our ship. They assured us that this was the lightest chain they had, and threatened that if we grumbled any more about it they would put the heavier one on us. Finding further protest useless, we asked for a rug to cover ourselves with, as the nights were decidedly cold, but a vicious tug at the chain, which hurt our necks, was the only response.

Perhaps it may be thought difficult to extract humour from such a situation as we found ourselves in, but we looked at one another, Beyerle in his six feet two, and Last in his five feet ditto next to him, with the collar nearly up to his ears, and when de Reya said, 'Look at Tajer* Last: his clothes don't fit him,' the ludicrousness of the whole thing rushed upon us, and we burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughing. 'Well,' I remarked, I never thought we should be decorated with the Grand Iron Collar of the Sultan of Morocco; it's a distinction that very few Christians have received in recent years, I think;' and de Reya began softly to croon to himself:

'Why did I leave my little back-room in Blooms-bur-ee, Where I could live on a pound a week in lux-ur-ee? I've got out of the frying-pan into the blooming fire.'

Darkness coming on, we had no option but to make the best of it by huddling close together like so many animals, for the sake of warmth, care being taken by de Reya, who was next to him, to give as wide a berth as possible to Khabib, the Susi boy, who had been beguiling the tedium of the daylight hours by slaughtering his livestock. The boy also had complained of the cold, as he was almost naked, and one of the Moors returned to him for the night the sulham of which he had been stripped when brought into the

tent.

Lying awake vainly endeavouring to keep warm, the meaning of young Mulud's gestures now came to me. He was trying to tell us that we were going to be handed over to the Moors, and he foreshadowed

* Merchant, a term generally applied to Christians indiscriminately.