comrades, and Stephens ventured to touch his elbow and to point to his
water-skin, and then to the exhausted lady. The negro shook his head
brusquely, but at the same time he glanced significantly towards the
Arabs, as if to say that, if it were not for them, he might act
differently. Then he laid his black forefinger upon the breast of his
jibbeh.

"Tippy Tilly," said he.

"What's that?" asked Colonel Cochrane.

"Tippy Tilly," repeated the negro, sinking his voice as if he wished
only the prisoners to hear him.

The Colonel shook his head.

"My Arabic won't bear much strain. I don't know what he is saying,"
said he.

"Tippy Tilly. Hicks Pasha," the negro repeated.

"I believe the fellow is friendly to us, but I can't quite make him
out," said Cochrane to Belmont. "Do you think that he means that his
name is Tippy Tilly, and that he killed Hicks Pasha?"

The negro showed his great white teeth at hearing his own words coming
back to him. "Aiwa!" said he. "Tippy Tilly--Bimbashi Mormer--Boum!"

"By Jove, I've got it!" cried Belmont. "He's trying to speak English.
Tippy Tilly is as near as he can get to Egyptian Artillery. He has