244 LIFE WITH THE HAMRAN ARABS. 



believing that no one was at home. The landlord told 

 him to go up again, and open the door and walk in, and 

 having obeyed these instructions he found himself in the 

 presence of the Russian. Apologising for thus intruding, 

 he felt annoyed at receiving no response, and was about 

 to retire when, by signs made to him to sit down, he 

 perceived that the Russian was deaf and dumb. The 

 result of the interview, sustained by writing in French, 

 was that Albert agreed to travel with him for six months, 

 a portion of the time to be spent in Cairo, and the re- 

 mainder in Italy. Albert describes this engagement as 

 the most trying of any he has accepted in his career of 

 dragoman or courier, and especially during the first month, 

 for he never was away from his master's side, and began 

 almost to fear that he also would lose the power of speech. 

 As time went on, writing gradually gave place to signs, 

 and so completely towards the end of the engagement, 

 that they could hold long conversations with great ease 

 in the latter way, and when they parted Albert consi- 

 dered himself quite a proficient in the language of signs. 

 He now finds a fine opportunity to renew his experience, 

 and to show off another talent to us. The deaf and 

 dumb Arab lives more in our camp than in his own, and 

 is always delighted if allowed to assist Ibrahim in clean- 

 ing and preparing heads and skins, and returns home 

 quite happy if given an odd remnant of hide to make 

 a pair of sandals. It is painful to watch him holding a 



