Leaving her second cup of coffee almost untasted , she sprang up and leaned over the balcony balustrade , gazing out eagerly on the scene below .sx Away to the left lay the sun-baked road the same road by which they had motored to Mena House the previous evening and as she glanced along it the electric tram from Cairo reached its terminus close to the hotel and came to a standstill .sx At the same moment a long string of camels passed it , pacing one behind the other with their inimitable air of stately leisure , and once again she found her mind trying to accustom itself to the anomaly of typical East and West thrust together in such close proximity .sx .. The fussy , clanging little tram in the roadway and on the rising ground above it the remote , grave , changeless grandeur of the pyramids .sx " Bit of a mixed grill , aren't they ?sx " commented Dod .sx He had risen from the breakfast-table and was now standing beside her , watching the passengers as they descended from the tram .sx First emerged an English trio , two girls and a man , all three attired in riding-kit ; then a rotund Egyptian garbed in European dress except for the red fez he wore .sx Followed a couple of German women tourists , accompanied by a turbanned dragoman resplendent in a long , wide-sleeved coat the colour of a ripe apricot and worn above a galabieh of paler yellow .sx Close behind him , like black shadows in the brilliant sunlight , came two veiled Arab women in their sable garments .sx " I hope our guide will be like that one , " said Toni , pointing to the dragoman now leading his tourists up the road towards the pyramids .sx " He's a most .sx gorgeous-looking person arrayed like Solomon in all his glory , " she added , laughing .sx Forrest nodded .sx " I believe most of them ` dress ' their part pretty well , " he answered .sx " Our own man ought to be waiting for us somewhere down below , by the way , I dropped Strode a line a month ago telling him what day we should arrive , and he wrote back that he'd let the guide he recommended know about it and tell him to do everything possible for us .sx All the same , " he went on , " I shouldn't be surprised if the chap doesn't turn up .sx You can't trust these fellows too far , and he may have had some other job offered him before now and decided to take the bird in the hand .sx " Toni's face fell .sx " Oh , I hope he hasn't , " she said .sx Somehow she felt she would have complete confidence in any guide that Strode vouched for .sx For one thing , he himself knew Egypt and its risks so well , and for another , in spite of all that had happened , she had a feeling of inward certainty that he would be particularly careful regarding the type of dragoman he recommended to look after her .sx " Ryan warned us not to pick up just any sort of guide , " she pursued .sx " We shouldn't do that in any case , " replied her father .sx " The hotels and tourist agencies will always recommend a reliable man .sx " " Still , I'd prefer Ryan's choice , " persisted Toni .sx " It would seem more like engaging a servant who'd been with a friend , " she added explanatorily .sx At this juncture Mackie intervened with her usual mild common sense .sx " Really , you two are just like a couple of children !sx Why not go down and find out if Said wasn't that .sx the man's name ?sx is there ?sx " she suggested .sx " That would settle the question , wouldn't it ?sx " Forrest laughed outright .sx " Most sane and sensible Mackie !sx " he exclaimed .sx " That's precisely what we'll do .sx " Accordingly they all descended to the hall , and almost .sx immediately a silent-footed native servant approached them with a letter in Strode's handwriting .sx Dod opened it and read its brief contents aloud .sx " ` Dear Forrest , the bearer of this letter , Said .sx Khaleel , is the dragoman I recommended to you .sx He .sx thoroughly knows his job , and you can have complete confidence in him .sx ' .sx .. Sounds all right , doesn't it,' " said Dod .sx " Let's go and take a look at him .sx " They moved out of the dusky coolness of the hall .sx on to the big verandah whence a flight of steps led .sx down to the entrance drive , and here they found their appointed guide patiently awaiting them .sx To Toni's .sx satisfaction he was even more beautifully apparelled .sx than the one who had been accompanying the German .sx tourists , though he appeared to be a somewhat older .sx man , for the upper part of his face was rather deeply .sx lined and moustache and beard concealed the lower .sx part .sx His coat was of a rare and very lovely shade of .sx blue .sx ( In her own mind she wondered swiftly if it were the action of the sun which gave to the brilliant colours that both men and boys so often wore their .sx curious , almost pastel softness of tone .sx ) Galabieh and .sx turban were of spotless white , and flung round his shoulders was a fringed scarf of pure silk which matched the blue of his coat .sx He bowed very low as his future clients approached , but the effect of the smile of welcome he bestowed on them was considerably marred by the gleam of a couple .sx of shining gold teeth in the centre front of his upper jaw .sx " I've noticed several natives with gold-crowned teeth , " Toni commented to Mackie sotto voce while Forrest was explaining his requirements to the dragoman .sx " I think they look appalling against their dark skins .sx " " Didn't Mr. Temple Warwick once tell us they were quite proud of having them because it shows they're well enough off to afford them , " responded Mackie .sx " Anyway , this Said person is beautifully dressed , isn't he ?sx I should have thought he was a sheik rather than an ordinary dragoman .sx " " Pronounced ' shaik,' Mackie , not ' sheek ' , " corrected Toni , gaily .sx " Well , shaik , dear , if you prefer , " acquiesced Mackie amiably .sx " He's very picturesque , whichever way you pronounce it .sx " " I don't think I admire him much , " returned the girl , with a note of discontent in her voice .sx " I can't bear those gold teeth of his or his beard .sx They give him a fierce kind of brigand look like the baggage-man you fought with over our luggage .sx I suppose he is right ?sx " she added doubtfully .sx " Of course he is , if Mr. Strode recommended him , " replied Mackie with the utmost trustfulness .sx But Toni still regarded the dragoman with disfavour , .sx " I hope this is the one Ryan wrote about ?sx " she said uncertainly .sx " Some other man couldn't by any chance have pinched his letter of recommendation from the guide he actually sent it to , could he ?sx " " Of course not .sx I can't think why you should imagine such a thing .sx " Toni laughed , shrugging away her doubts .sx " Only I should have thought Ryan knew me well enough to guess I'd rather have had a young and better looking one !sx You can't call him a beauty , Mackie , however much you try to back up Ryan's selection .sx " " At least he looks experienced , " submitted Mackie .sx " And that's all that really matters .sx " By this time Forrest had finished his consultation with the guide .sx " Said suggests you might like to go up to see the pyramids and the Sphinx to-day , " he said , turning back to the two women .sx " What do you say , Toni ?sx " .sx " Yes , what do you say , ladyship ?sx " repeated Said with all the Arab's quick , intuitive mimicry of phrase .sx He had a hard , rather disagreeably pitched voice which reminded Toni of the harsh sound of his native Arabic , and again she felt slightly repelled .sx Ryan's choice of a guide was certainly somewhat disappointing , if nothing worse .sx " Yes , I think we might do that , " she assented :sx " You must come too , Dod , " she went on .sx " I definitely insist upon your seeing some of the sights before you settle down to your sketching there'll be no dragging you away from your easel once you've started .sx " Forrest smiled resignedly .sx " All right , I'll come to-day .sx But I bargain not to be inveigled into sight-seeing too often .sx Do we foot it , or go up on camels ?sx " " You can walk if you wishes , but it will be better to take camels , " intervened Said .sx " I will bring three camels and their drivers .sx " Mackie , who had been watching one or two unaccustomed tourists mounting and dismounting from .sx the suggested quadrupeds , gave a slight shiver of apprehension .sx " I'm sure I shall fall off over the creature's head or tail , " she protested appealingly .sx Said's gold-toothed smile beamed on her with the utmost benevolence .sx " Have no fear , lady .sx You will not fall .sx I show you how .sx " And when the time came , with small screams of alarm Mackie obediently leaned forward and back , under Said's instructions , as the camel rose from the ground after she had taken her seat in the high saddle , and rode off in triumph at the head of the procession .sx The dragoman himself mounted a small grey donkey which had a string of bright blue beads hung round its neck to ward off the evil eye , as he informed Toni later and Forrest , as he tried to accommodate himself to the unaccustomed gait of his camel , regarded the little beast with open envy .sx " I wish Said had mounted the rest of us on donkeys , " he murmured plaintively to Toni .sx " I shall be sore all over if I have to ride this brute for long .sx " " I believe you get used to the motion in time , " she replied with an unfeeling giggle .sx Her own lissom young body was adapting itself to the unwonted mode of progression without much difficulty .sx " And , anyway , camels provide the proper local colour .sx " But her gaiety fell from her as at last they reached the foot of the Great Pyramid .sx She was held silent not only by its sheer immensity and the knowledge that it was the work of human hands hands that had become dust more than four thousand years ago but by a sharp , piercing memory .sx For an instant her actual surroundings seemed wiped out of sight .sx Instead , she could see only the hills and vales of Dartmoor , feel its fresh heather-scented breeze , and hear Ryan's voice as he recounted the story of the woman he had helped to descend the pyramid .sx .. " Said's asking if you want to do the climb to the top ?sx If you do , Mackie and I will wait below , as we've neither of us any intention of scrambling up there ourselves .sx " The sound of Forrest's lazy , half-amused voice brought her abruptly back to the present .sx She found that the dragoman had dismounted from his donkey and was standing beside her , awaiting her decision .sx " Oh no , I think not , " she said hastily .sx " I might turn giddy and fall or stick half-way .sx I once heard of someone who did that .sx " Said regarded her with impassive eyes .sx " You would be very safe with me , ladyship , " he said quietly .sx " I should not let you fall .sx " But Toni shook her head with decision .sx " I'd rather not , " she said , although she knew that if Ryan had been with her she would have gone without hesitation , eager to see the marvellous view which the summit of the pyramid must reveal .sx Dod appeared relieved at her want of enterprise .sx He had no particular wish either to make the ascent himself or to wait while Toni did .sx " Then let's push on and see the Sphinx , " he suggested .sx So they moved onward down the sandy , camel-trodden path until the huge lion-like figure came in .sx sight , and when at last they halted in full view of its mighty head the dragoman started pouring out the usual stream of information :sx " The Sphinx is the Emblem of the Sun .sx You understan' ?sx " He cast a .sx collective glance round at his listeners as though to make sure he had their attention .sx " He is the God of the Sun , and so he face to the east where the sun rises .sx .. He has the body of a lion which show his strength and the head of a man which show his wisdom .sx " Just these few sentences trickled into Toni's mind .sx Afterwards she became merely vaguely aware that het father and Mackie were telling with the guide , asking him questions .sx .. None of it appeared of any importance .sx