Australians when wronged must have revenge. An eye for an eye is the law of the bush. The revenge came in an unexpected way. In one of the streets where the wantons live an injustice had been done to one of the boys. The exact reason was never told. But Cairo was soon alarmed by the shrieks of women, the shouts of fire, and the galloping of mounted police. Through the glare and smoke could be seen a little army of men wreaking revenge. Windows were being smashed, a piano was crashed from above to the ground, doors were torn down, crockery clattered into the street. 

 "Allah! Allah! Save us, save us! The mad Australians! The mad Australians!" cried the cowardly effendis as they fled. 

 "Help! Help!" screamed the wantons, as they ran like maddened hares. But the wrecking went on, despite the charging pickets and hoarse commands from officers and police. 

 "Here's the fire brigade, boys, capture them," yelled a great hulking fellow. And they did. With a wild haloo, they captured the engines, cut the pipes, and terrified the poor gippy firemen out of their lives. It was an ugly time. And the riot was only quelled by armed pickets sent from other corps. 

 "It's a great pity we interfered at all," said a Cairo dignitary that night. 

 "Why?" inquired his friend. 

 "They would have burned the whole dirty place down, and that would have been the greatest blessing to Cairo." 

 "Then you don't blame them?" 

 "No. I think Cairo has been cursed with the vilest creatures God ever made. Yes, I admit, the Capitulations have hitherto tied our hands. Thank Heaven Egypt is now a Protectorate. We can clean out these filthy dens after the war." 

 "Yes, it is a queer hole, but East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet," chipped in another member of the club.  "It's a wonder they didn't kill that fellow Hassein." 

 "Who's he?" 

 "A rotter who dresses as a woman and runs a crowd of white slaves. And, by Jove! he looks like a woman too—all scented and faked." 

 "Oh, he's a law-abiding merchant of sin," said a gippy officer. "There's a worse person than he here." 

 "Who's that?" 

 Prev. P 18/77 next