UNDER WAY AT LAST. 193 



One would think we might now start. Not a bit o 

 it! The careful "man of the world," having just finished 

 his breakfast, strolls up and demands where the Sahib's 

 cartridge-box has been put. He is too conscientious to take 

 their word, and insists upon it being shown to him. This 

 entails a general search and unpacking, for after the late 

 excitement it has slipped their memories which beast 

 carries it. At last the box is found, and Rahman carries 

 it away with an air of having done his duty. 



Now, I think, we shall at last get off, but Rahman, 

 having taken out the few cartridges he wants, calmly 

 suggests that the box should be re-fastened to its camel. 

 I feel obliged to interfere, and telling the ayah to mount 

 in her pannier, we place the cartridge-box to balance her 

 on the other side. 



After this brief description of the packing of only 

 six animals, I am not surprised to hear that it takes a 

 quarter-master-general and his assistants all their time to 

 get the camels of their column under way. When at length 

 they are started, if they are sure, they are decidedly slow, 

 for their utmost pace does not exceed two miles an 

 hour. Giving our camels a few miles start, I cantered in 

 pursuit, first overtaking the ayah, nearly in hysterics, and 

 horribly frightened that the cartridges are going to " make 

 fire and kill." Nevertheless, she prefers the uncertainty of 

 a sudden and violent death to the certainty of walking. 



