Later the stewards rigged up a canvas screen
behind which the women and children could sleep, for the heat of the
desert was making the lower cabins unbearable; mattresses were dragged
here and there, children put to sleep upon them; people walked about,
stepping carefully over sleeping forms as the _Oriana_ crept along at
five miles an hour with a great searchlight forrard sending a huge fan
of light on to the lapping waters of the Canal, and out into the brown
sand of the desert. The schoolmaster became instructive about the rapid
silting up of the Canal with erosion and sand storms: he discussed the
genius and patience of de Lesseps, and argued lengthily on the
respective merits of patience and genius. Finally, Marcella told him
she had a headache. He suggested that he could cure it.
"I have some tabloids--very sedative, very. I make a point of never
being without them. You, I take it, have the same type of brain and
nerve force as I--always active, always alert. What we both need is a
depressant--pot. brom. Or, as I prefer to call it, K.B.R."
"Oh no--it's very kind of you. But I'd like best to go to bed."
"May I carry your mattress up for you?"
"I'm not sleeping on deck. I couldn't sleep among so many people," she
said, and, after a hurried good night went below.
As she paused at her cabin door she heard a little noise and guessed
that Jimmy was within.
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