270 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



Photograph from Boston Photo News Co. 



THE TIGRIS RIVER, WINDING LIKE A HUGE SNAKE, WITH THE FAMED CITY OE BAGDAD 



IN THE LOWER FOREGROUND 



The most distant point on the River Tigris shown in the picture is 50 miles away. 



greeting us, and a rousing welcome it was 

 from men with whom I had served dur- 

 ing the war. Our mechanics, too, found 

 old comrades who hauled them off to 

 celebrate the occasion before attending to 

 the engines. 



It was quite like old times to climb into 

 a car, to spin through well-known thor- 

 oughfares to Shepheard's, to sink luxuri- 

 ously into the arms of a great and fa- 

 miliar lounge chair, and to yarn over the 

 events that had happened since last I 

 occupied it. 



A NIGHT IN CAIRO 



My friends tried to persuade me to at- 

 tend a dance that was being held there 

 that night, but I needed all the sleep I 

 could get, and so declined reluctantly. 

 But for an hour or more I sat in an easy 

 chair on the well-known veranda, lis- 

 tened to the sweet strains of the music 



inside, and that other strange blend of 

 street cries — a veritable kaleidoscope of 

 sound — that may be heard nowhere save 

 in Cairo. I noted, too, the beauty and 

 the chivalry coming in, and watched the 

 curious procession of all sorts passing by. 



I had to shake myself to be assured 

 that it was not a splendid and fantastic 

 dream. As we lounged there a messen- 

 ger boy brought a cable for me — we had 

 sent our own messages off long before. 

 It was from General Borton, congratu- 

 lating us on our safe arrival in Egypt and 

 wishing us good luck for the next stage. 



While I was reading this kind remem- 

 brance from my old O. C, an Arab paper- 

 boy came crying his wares, and I bought 

 a news-sheet and read with amused inter- 

 est the story of our doings during the 

 last few days. I also read, with a shock 

 of keen regret, of the accident that had 

 befallen our gallant competitors, Lieuten- 



