A SERIOUS CHARGE. 
401 
Arabic, of which I understood not a single word except How- 
adji. “ Well,” said I, leaning over the top of the cupboard, 
“ what do you want with the Howadji, old gentleman ? Can’t 
you let me make a bed here ?” To this he responded as be¬ 
fore, only with more spirit, having apparently taken courage 
at the gentle manner in which I addressed him. Unable to 
understand him, I resumed the gathering up of the onions. 
The female voice in the corner again reached my ears, and 
the old Arab became quite violent. “ My friend,” said I, 
rather annoyed, “ you are wasting breath. Really I can’t 
understand a word you say. Ho, Yusef! wake up. Ask this 
old gentleman w T hat he wants.” Yusef woke up and rubbed 
his eyes. “ What’s the matter, 0 General ? Where is your 
Excellency ?” “ Here,” said I, “ up here on top of the cata¬ 
combs in the corner.” “ Bless my soul! And this old fool, 
what does he want ?” “In faith, Yusef, I don’t know. He’s 
been growling at me like a bear for ten minutes.” Yusef 
turned fiercely upon the old Arab, and addressed him in tones 
of thunder. What the answer was I don’t know ; it certainly 
was not of a satisfactory nature, for I never before saw Yusef 
so enraged and indignant. He drew his sword, and would 
doubtless have put the poor man to death on the spot had not 
the voice of the woman broken in at this juncture, which 
caused him to return it to the scabbard in some trepidation, 
and cover himself up as quickly as possible in his blanket; 
upon which the old Arab made the best of his way back to 
the dark corner where his wife was. Yusef now raised up his 
head again, looked cautiously around him, and indignantly 
uttered these words : “By Allah ! this is too bad ! 0 Gen¬ 
eral ! General, my blood boils ; for heaven’s sake, let me kill 
somebody; quick, let me kill somebody; I can’t stand it, I 
must—” “ Stop, Yusef! There must be no bloodshed here ! 
What did the man say to you ?” “ Say ? 0 wherefore do 
you ask me ? How can I repeat it ? I’m ashamed of my 
country. In six months, 0 General, you shall see Yusef 
Badra in America.” “ Nay, but I command you to tell me. 
Out with it, if you choke in the effort. WTiat did he say ?” 
“ He said, 0 General! he said you were stealing his onions! 
