SO AFRICAN CAMP FIRES. 



sufficient to set a small boy up in trade, and 

 to imbue him with all the importance and in- 

 sistence of a merchant with jewels. Other ten- 

 year-old ragamuffins tried to call our attention 

 to some sort of sleight-of-hand with poor downy 

 little chickens. Grave, turbaned, and polite In- 

 dians squatted cross-legged at our feet, begging 

 to give us a look into the future by means of the 

 only genuine hall-marked Yogi-ism ; a troupe of 

 acrobats went energetically and hopefully through 

 quite a meritorious performance a few feet away ; 

 a deftly triumphant juggler did very easily, and 

 directly beneath our watchful eyes, some really 

 wonderful tricks. A butterfly-gorgeous swarm 

 of insinuating smiling peddlers of small things 

 dangled and spread their wares where they 

 thought themselves most sure of attention. 

 Beyond our own little group we saw slowly pass- 

 ing in the lighted street outside the portico the 

 variegated and picturesque loungers. Across the 

 way a phonograph bawled ; our stringed or- 

 chestra played " The Dollar Princess ; " from 

 somewhere over in the dark and mysterious alley- 

 ways came the regular beating of a tom-tom. 

 The magnificent and picturesque town car with 

 its gaudy ragamuffins swayed by in train of its 

 diminutive mule. 



