He happened to be crossing a tiny square at the moment, and a bearded
moullah was entering a mosque which filled one whole side of it. The
unbeliever's mirth doubtless disturbed a pious meditation, and the
moullah turned and muttered something. The words might be a verse of
the Koran, but they had the ring of a malediction.
Mulai Hamed was abashed and angry. He spoke apologetically to the holy
man, alluded to the "giaour" more than once, and proceeded to give Dick
a voluble lecture, enlightening him, most probably, as to the exceeding
importance of politeness where a Mahomedan priest was concerned.
Royson was unable to explain that his hilarity was not intended as a
slight on the follower of the Prophet. Yet dignity demanded he should
not remain dumb, so he pointed ahead, and vociferated, with a fairly
accurate assumption of his skipper's voice and manner:
"Lead on, you swab, and keep silent, or I'll alter the shape of your
face."
It sufficed, nor was he wholly mistaken in his rough-and-ready
philosophy, for it is thus that the West dominates the East.
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