But how did they know that he had an
agreement with God? Was it natural that they should get such an idea as
that?
It so happened, finally, that he carried off one of their queens--a
woman beautiful as the sunshine. He tried, at first, to buy her, and
offered to give for her all his treasure, and a lot of diamonds as big
as pigeons' eggs; but although the Mameluke to whom she particularly
belonged had several others, he wouldn't agree to the bargain; so
Napoleon had to carry her off. Of course, when things came to such a
pass as that, they couldn't be settled without a lot of fighting; and if
there weren't blows enough to satisfy all, it wasn't anybody's fault. We
formed in battle line at Alexandria, at Gizeh, and in front of the
Pyramids. We marched in hot sunshine and through deep sand, where some
got so bedazzled that they saw water which they couldn't drink, and
shade that made them sweat; but we generally chewed up the Mamelukes,
and all the rest gave in when they heard Napoleon's voice.
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