The cattle and other animals are either tied in the field and allowed to eat over a little spot at a time, or the fodder is cut by hand and fed to them green. It is a common sight to see men and women sitting or kneeling on the ground, while they cut as much as they can reach about them and pack it upon the back of a little donkey or a lofty camel, which kneels to receive its load. The beasts are driven off to the villages and cities, where the hay is sold. In Cairo every coachman carries a bundle of this green clover under his feet to feed his horses when at rest.

The grain is threshed by spreading it on a smooth piece of hard ground and drawing a platform, with little wheels or blades in the under surface and a chair upon it, around over it until all is cut up and the grain well separated from the heads. Then the grain is winnowed in the wind. It is usually ground in the hand-mill, which consists of a stationary stone with a peg in the center and another lighter one with a hole in the center and a handle on one side. The hole serves both as a socket for the peg of the lower stone, and, being larger than the peg, also as the hopper into which the grain is put. This comes out around the edges as a sort of coarse flour, such as is used by the peasants. Every house has one of the mills, at which two women are often seen grinding.

The Nile valley is very narrow, and is bordered on either side by a sandy and often hilly desert as far as the eye can reach. There is a distinct line of separation between the fresh green belt which follows the course of the river and the boundless waste which stretches beyond. If any event should turn the course of this river so that it should flow to the west and escape to the sea through the Congo valley, as it is thought to have done in the remote past, Egypt would virtually be blotted from the earth, for it is only by the water furnished by this river, mainly during its overflow, which takes place in the summer and autumn, that life is maintained in these sands. That part of the land which is submerged

by this overflow is sown as soon as the water subsides, or even before it is all gone ;* and the seed falling in the soft mud deposited by the turbulent flood, quickly springs up and grows luxuriantly, so that by the first of March the clover is in blossom, the barley beginning to head, the English, or horse, beans in full bloom, and the other crops in a proportional state of development.

This land produces but one crop per year. That portion over which the flood does not extend, but is irrigated from reservoirs and canals filled by that flood, usually produces three crops each year. Corn, sugar-cane, wheat, barley, clover, beans and peas in great variety, cotton, flax, and rice are the principal crops seen, except those that are produced by the extensive orange, lemon, date, palm, and olive groves, which beautify the landscape and furnish a grateful shade from the hot sun as well as delicious and important articles of subsistence to the inhabitants.

The saying, “Cast thy bread upon the waters and it shall return unto thee after many days," is said to be a figure taken from this custom in Egypt of sowing the seed upon the overflowed fields.

666

IN DISTRICT No. I

(An Economic Novel)

BY THE AUTHOR OF "THE SIXTEENTH AMENDMENT

'SIMP

CHAPTER XXXV-(Continued)

"

IMPLY' means very much in your case, L. B.," said Tom. 'However, to proceed. The M

B

are the modern continuation of the old

' dynamite party '—"

"The Clan-na-Gael, as it used to be called in poor dear mamma's time," commented L. B.

"Yes. Well, the MB have of late years risen into very great importance; principally, because of the marvelous skill, ingenuity, and daring with which their Flaith, or chieftain, has designed and guided their operations. This man, whose name is Robert Mather, comes of an old family of Connecticut Yankees, and seems to have joined the MB out of sheer love of mischief. His surprising mechanical ability, added to his prodigious mental acuteness, would probably have made of him the great inventor of the age had he adopted that career. As things are, he has perfected many wondrous devices; but the majority of them have been of a nature not to be avowed-time-bombs, water-rats

"Water-rats; I don't understand," said Lydia, inter

[I dare not print Boreen's explanation. I am not England's

protector; and I am mortally afraid of the O- T——

During the past year there have been six' mysterious disappearances' of English warships.'

"And the crews?"

"Are presumably in Davy Jones's locker."

"How horrible! How perfectly devilish!"

"I'm a little that way of thinking mysilf. But, Lydia, if you had stood with me whin Kilkee was burned, and had seen Tommy Atkins, as they call him, running his bayonet through women and children, while his officers—' gentlemen' they are called-sons of noblemen, sons of wealthy manufacturers, sons of clergymen, sons of 'universal providers,' sons of judges, sons of pious non-Conformists, sons of labor members of Parliament, and, some of them, men risen from the ranks-all stood by, shouting and laughing, and amusing themselves by shooting with their revolvers at every flying form-you would consider that the MB- are not the only devils."

"And this sort of thing has been going on since the birth of the human race!"

"The glass is so opaque that we cannot see through it even darkly, my Lydia."

Tom paused, in some trepidation, as the words spontaneously issued from his lips. He feared a rebuke; but to his relief and joy, it came not. In the mystical moonlight he saw Lydia drop the rein upon her horse's neck and spread out her arms in a wild despairing fashion, as she looked up into the luminous green pall above. She was apparently oblivious of his presence.

"Mather argues," he continued, in a light tone which caused Lydia to catch up her rein and turn easily toward him, "that sailors are very superstitious and in a short time the whole British navy will become demoralized. thinks that if we Irishmen had long ago concentrated our

He

efforts on the destruction of the English warships, the Saxons would have thrust us out, independence-laden, with more haste and eagerness to see our backs than the Egyptians of old displayed with regard to the Israelites. I'm very far from saying he's not right."

"But you belong to the O

MB?" — B—?”

T——, and not to the

"Yes. In spite of my finding Mather's logic unanswerable, and in spite of my being willing to join a surprise party when actual operations of war are in progress, I can't look upon murder without open war as a matter in which I care to have any hand."

"Did you ever discuss the case with this Mather?"

"No. I've never yet seen him. I know of him only through O'Brien, who admired him immensely and trusted him implicitly. They worked and consulted together for a time. I remained at Newport News, and O'Brien went to Pittsburg, where he and Mather established a mechanical firm for the purpose of making bombs, water-rats, and Mather's other inventions, without being suspected, as the firm engaged in general metal manufacture for the public at large. Mather went by the name of Sanford Tevis, and O'Brien was known as Waldorf Astor, the firm itself being Astor & Tevis, and now, I understand, very highly thought of all over the world. Of course, all the workmen and employés are M B—, the foreman, John Dillon, being, indeed, the ollam aire, or chief clansman, of the order."

"But if O'Brien became Astor, the head of a Pittsburg house, how could he be the Michael Smith of Harrison?

"In April of last year he came to Newport News, to confer with me as to arranging another rising in the west of Ireland. I urged him to sever his connection with the M- B and devote all his time and attention to the O 0— T—. He agreed, went back to Pittsburg, came to a settlement with Mather, and moved, first, to New York and, afterward, to Harrison, taking with him the O