‘You know, I cannot go alone!’ Their eyes travelled over one another’s faces; they had suddenly become blank-faced mutes. ‘You see the beautiful boat, made in England, safe as a ship, swift as a sea-bird. We shall stow plenty of chop; we will lie lazily down on the thwarts; the winds will bear us gaily along. Let my braves step out; those men who will dare accompany their master round this sea.’ Up, and down, their eyes traversed each other’s forms, and, finally, became fixed on their feet. ‘Come, come; this will not do. Will you join me?’ ‘Ah, master, I cannot row. I am a land-lubber. My back is as strong as a camel’s. There is no one like me for the road; but the sea!--Uh! uh! the water is only fit for fishes, and I am a son of the firm earth!’ ‘Will you join me, my boy?’ ‘Dear master, you know I am your slave, and you are my prince; but, master, look at the great waves!--Boo! boo! all the time!--Please, master, excuse me this time. I will never do it again.’ ‘Will you go with me, to live a pleasant month on the sea?’ ‘Ha! ha! good master, you are joking! Who? I? I, who am the son of Abdallah, who was the son of Nasib! Surely, my master, my hamal’s back was made to carry loads! I am a donkey for that, but you cannot make a sailor of a donkey!’ ‘Will you come with me? I have had my eye on you for a long time?’ ‘Where to, master?’ he asked innocently. ‘Why, round this sea, of course, in my boat!’ ‘Ah, sir, put your hand on my breast. You feel the thumping of the heart. A mere look at the sea always sends it bounding that way. Pray don’t kill me, master, that sea would be my grave!’ ‘So! you are donkeys, eh? camels? land-lubbers? hamals only, eh? Well, we will try another plan! Here, you sir, I like you, a fine, handsome, light weight! Step into that boat; and you, you look like a born sailor, follow him; and you--heavens! what a back and muscles! You shall try them on the oars! And you, a very lion in the fight at Ituru! I love lions, and you shall roar with me to the wild waves of the Nyanza! And you, the springing antelope, ha! ha! you shall spring with me over the foaming surge!’ I selected eleven. ‘Oh, you young fellows, I will make sailors of you, never fear! Get ready, we must be off within an hour.’