. South of Suez. rocks remained the same—a vastSt. Michael anchored in a tepid sea, its crustedslopes rotting and quivering with humid heat,while around its verge a multitude of men ofmany races toiled in defiance of sun and sand,some as sentinels of an empire, but the most inthe whimsical hope of insuring a happy old age. A mist of coal dust rose about the mail-steamer. Ports were closed; fans droned hope-lessly in the stifling cabins; distraught passen-gers wandered helplessly about the deck, mop-ping their faces, or stood at the port rail withglasses screwed to their eyes, gazing at SheikhO
. South of Suez. rocks remained the same—a vastSt. Michael anchored in a tepid sea, its crustedslopes rotting and quivering with humid heat,while around its verge a multitude of men ofmany races toiled in defiance of sun and sand,some as sentinels of an empire, but the most inthe whimsical hope of insuring a happy old age. A mist of coal dust rose about the mail-steamer. Ports were closed; fans droned hope-lessly in the stifling cabins; distraught passen-gers wandered helplessly about the deck, mop-ping their faces, or stood at the port rail withglasses screwed to their eyes, gazing at SheikhOthman, where they hoped for a sight of theventuresome Turks who had intruded to thevery threshold of Aden. A few tossed idle coinsamong the coal-coolies, not realising that thesewere Bedouins and Fuzzy-wuzzies, men of un-conquered tribes. But none made a move to goashore. The Scotch skipper, bound for Singapore totake command of a tanker, was standing besideme, poking his pipe gently in my ribs to empha- [ 32]. m <
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, bookidsouthofsuez0, bookyear1920
