It was seven o'clock by this time, and rumour had it that the Sultan's train was moving down the valley.From the roofs of the houses a vast human ant-hill could be seen swarming across the plain in the distance.Then came some rapid transformations of the scene below.First the streets were deserted by every decent blue jellab and clean white turban within range of sight.
These presently reappeared on the roofs of the principal thoroughfare, where groups of women, closely covered in their haiks, had already begun to congregate with their dark attendants.
Next, a body of the townsmen who possessed firearms mounted guard on the walls to protect the town from the lawlessness of the big army that was coming.Then into the Feddan, the square marketplace, came pouring from their own little quarter within its separate walls a throng of Jewish people, in their black gabardines and skull-caps, men and women and children, carrying banners that bore loyal inscriptions, twanging at tambourines and crying in wild discords, "God bless our Lord!""God give victory to our Lord the Sultan!"The poor Jews got small thanks for such loyalty to the last of the Caliphs of the Prophet.Every ragged Moor in the streets greeted them with exclamations of menace and abhorrence.Even the blind beggar crouching at the gate lifted up his voice and cursed them.