398 Notes on Sport and Travel iv 



world, with the one possible exception of American 

 boys. Such a thing as check or correction is un- 

 known, and we all know the consequence. One 

 comfort is that they only increase at the rate of 

 two per cent per annum in all the empire of 

 France. 



To me presently comes Mohammed in the 

 Grande Place : ' Sare, would you like to see Arab 

 Dervish play the devil ? ' Most certainly, I shall 

 be delighted. We will meet at eight. 



We were led up through the narrow streets, the 

 houses closing nearly over our heads, until we reached 

 one not far from the Casba. We were civilly invited 

 to enter by a decently-dressed Moor, and passing 

 along a few feet of dark passage we found ourselves 

 in the theatre of the pseudo-religious drama. This 

 was a central covered courtyard of a well-to-do 

 Algerine house, some fourteen or fifteen feet square, 

 I fancy, surrounded by a corridor of well-turned 

 Moorish arches, three on each side, supported by 

 twisted columns tipped by the debased Corinthian 

 capitals so common in Algiers. These supported 

 some twelve feet from the ground another series of 

 columns and arches, which looked dim and mysterious 

 enough in the imperfect lighting. The whole was 

 neatly whitewashed, and was evidently the living 

 part of the house. 



As we went along the lower corridor, we had to 

 our right a staircase which led up to the upper one. 

 In the corner to our left was an archway opening 



