This had a most assuring sound, so we made no resistance. For several hours he marched ahead of us, proclaiming our social importance and ordering people out of the way, and every ten minutes he led us into some carefully concealed trap and tried to separate us from our piasters. All the time he went through the motions of defending our interests and fighting back those who would defraud us. For instance, in the bazaar. In a thoughtless moment I had said that I wished to purchase an ebony walking-stick. He led us to a dealer in walking-sticks, and here the following drama was played for our benefit:-- Hassim (to dealer)--This distinguished gentleman wishes to buy an ebony walking-stick. Show him your best goods and let the price be fair or never more shall I bring customers to your vile shop. (To the crowd jostling in upon us)--Stand back! Do not crowd upon the honourable gentlemen from America. Dealer (showing an ebony stick with a badly carved handle of bone, supposed to be ivory)--Ah, see! Yes! Verra good stick! Is it not? Verra cheap. I (looking at it coldly and shaking my head as if in disapproval)--How much? Dealer--Verra cheap--only twenty shilling. Hassim--Wha-a-t! (He rushes upon the dealer, smites him on the chest with his open hand and then tries to choke him). Oh, dog! Oh, unclean animal! Twenty shilling! (To us) Come! Let us go away. He is bad man. Come! Dealer (entreatingly)--You make me offer. How much you give? Hassim--Oh, child of darkness! Oh, crawling crocodile! You are trying to cheat the high-born visitors. Dealer (cringingly)--How much you give? Hassim (to me)--Come, I will speak with you alone. (He leads me away from the crowd and talks to me in a husky whisper.) This man is bad man. Do not pay him twenty bob. No one is looking. You slip the money to me and I will buy it for fifteen. Now, fifteen shillings is $3.75 in real money, and the stick is worth a dollar at the most extravagant valuation, so I say to Hassim, "Are you in on this?" He does not understand, but he looks at me as if hurt or disappointed, and then says, "I try to get it for ten. Wait here."