OUR FLAT.
flint-lock pistol with the name ‘ H. Mortimer, Gun-
maker to His Majesty the King,’ inscribed on the
barrel. In its day it must have been a very fine
weapon. It was beautifully finished and, though
considerably knocked about, was still quite serviceable
. Aissa was very anxious to buy it, as he was
certain that he could easily sell it at Biskra on his
return for forty or fifty francs. He asked me if I
would advance him fifteen francs out of his wages
to pay for it, and on my promising to do so, settled
down to bargain for it. He commenced by offering
ten francs. This was refused, the owner demanding
twenty-five. Aissa protestingly raised his offer to
eleven francs, the gunmaker in response lowered his
price to twenty-three. Aissa then commenced to
find fault with the mechanism of the lock, while the
owner of the pistol in return pointed out its many
excellent qualities, and soon they were in the thick
of the argument.
Alssa’s bargaining was I knew from experience
always a lengthy and tedious performance, so I left
him to settle the price and returned to our flat to
finish my packing.
In about half an hour he came in in a very
dejected frame of mind, declaring that the people of
Wargla were the hardest at driving a bargain of any
that he had met and that that gunmaker was the
hardest of the lot. He had reduced his price to
sixteen francs and a half, and Aissa assured me
that he had done his best to meet him by raising
his to fifteen, but as beyond that point neither side