ADEN 



other treasure trove, teasing it up the steep gang- 

 way to the level of our decks. The trunks once 

 safely bestowed, all interest, all industry died. We 

 thought that finished it; and wondered why the tug 

 did not pull out of the way. But always, after an 

 interval, another bright idea would strike another 

 native or natives. He or they would disap- 

 pear beneath the canvas awning over the tug's deck, 

 to emerge shortly carrying almost anything, from 

 a parasol to a heavy chest. 



On close inspection they proved to be a very 

 small people. The impression of graceful height 

 had come from the slenderness and justness of their 

 proportions, the smallness of their bones, and the 

 upright grace of their carriage. After standing 

 alongside one, we acquired a fine respect for their 

 ability to handle those trunks at all. 



Moored to the other side of the ship we found two 

 huge lighters from which bales of goods were being 

 hoisted aboard. Two camels and a dozen diminu- 

 tive mules stood in the waist of one of these craft. 

 The camels were as sniffy and supercilious and 

 scornful as camels always ar^; and everybody 

 promptly hated them with the hatred of the abys- 

 mally inferior spirit for something that scorns it, 

 as is the usual attitude of the human mind toward 

 camels. We waited for upward of an hour in the 



45 



