He Had Never Believed In It Front The First, And He Now
Became Impressed With The Fact That He Was
Positively committed to an
undertaking that would end most likely in his death, if not in terrible
difficulties; he determined,
Under the circumstances, to make himself as
disagreeable as possible to all parties. With this amiable resolution he
adopted a physical infirmity in the shape of deafness. In reality, no
one was more acute in hearing, but as there are no bells where there are
no houses, he of course could not answer such a summons, and he was
compelled to attend to the call of his own name - "Mahomet! Mahomet!" No
reply, although the individual were sitting within a few feet,
apparently absorbed in the contemplation of his own boots. "MaHOMet!"
with an additional emphasis upon the second syllable. Again no response.
"Mahomet, you rascal, why don't you answer?" This energetic address
would effect a change in his position. The mild and lamb-like dragoman
of Cairo would suddenly start from the ground, tear his own hair from
his head in handfuls, and shout, "Mahomet! Mahomet! Mahomet! always
Mahomet! D - n Mahomet! I wish he were dead, or back in Cairo, this brute
Mahomet!" The irascible dragoman would then beat his own head
unmercifully with his fists, in a paroxysm of rage.
To comfort him I could only exclaim, "Well done, Mahomet! thrash him;
pommel him well; punch his head; you know him best; he deserves it;
don't spare him!" This advice, acting upon the natural perversity of his
disposition, generally soothed him, and he ceased punching his head.
This man was entirely out of his place, if not out of his mind, at
certain moments, and having upon one occasion smashed a basin by
throwing it in the face of the cook, and upon another occasion narrowly
escaped homicide by throwing an axe at a man's head, which missed by an
inch, he became a notorious character in the little expedition.
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