Chapter Fourteen.
Describes some of Osman Digna’s Eccentricities and Other Matters.
One day Miles and his friend Armstrong went to have a ramble in the town of Suakim, and were proceeding through the bazaar when they encountered Simkin hurrying towards them with a much too serious expression on his face!
“Have you heard the n–news?” he asked, on coming up.
“No; what’s up?”
“The old shep–shepherd’s bin killed; all the c–cattle c–captured, an’ the Egyptian c–cavalry’s bin sent out after them.”
“Nonsense! You’re dreaming, or you’ve bin drinking,” said Miles.
“Neither dreamin’ nor drinkin’,” returned Simkin, with indignation, as he suddenly delivered a blow at our hero’s face. Miles stopped it, however, gave him a playful punch in the chest, and passed on.