128 BIRD-HUNTING 



already in position in the slides ; and when I started 

 to use these I found to my dismay that the whole 

 boxful had been reduced to powder. The pack- 

 saddle had undoubtedly received a hard knock 

 against a tree or rock, probably in traversing the 

 forest the previous day. 



There was nothing left to do but to examine the 

 colony, take a few eggs, and hurry back for a better 

 supply of plates, and to come again provided with 

 a tent so as to be able to camp out on the shores of 

 the lagoon within easy reach of the islands. We 

 could thus be independent of the villagers, be much 

 nearer the Pelicans, and could remain as long as we 

 liked. 



It was still only early in the morning, and by 

 riding hard we reached the Bey's house that same 

 night, and the Consulate the following day. 



At once we set to work to pack the tent and 

 provisions, and started all the things off early the 

 next morning on two pack-horses, while we followed 

 later, after breakfast, with Marco. One of the fisher- 

 men — the younger one — accompanied the pack- 

 horses, having brought the eggs we had taken 

 well packed in moss in a basket. He had done the 

 whole distance on foot, arriving overnight in a 

 drenched condition, as there had been a series of 

 thunderstorms all day. He was now walking back, 

 very footsore, and very stiff from having slept in his 



