A HARD TIME 



low shallow valley we emerged on to a level plain 

 covered with scattered scrub. For three hours more 

 I marched on in the moonlight and then camped. 

 My bed was soon made, and I went to bed too tired 

 to eat. The cooler night air soon sent me to sleep ; 

 but at 2.30 I arose once more and started off shortly 

 after 3, confident that I was now approaching Lorian. 

 Dawn showed me a perfectly level plain devoid of 

 all grass, but dotted here and there with thorn trees. 

 In the distance a low orreen line showed where the 

 bush began again. Suddenly, however, I saw some 

 cattle, and then right in front of me a large rain-pool 

 round which were gathered the rest of the herd, 

 guarded by some forty Somali. 



Since leaving Jeldez it had been indeed a hard 

 time. We had marched continuously, resting only 

 occasionally on the way, often without taking the 

 trouble to pitch the tents. During the latter part 

 of the journey, out of the twenty-four hours, sixteen 

 were spent actually marching, with two halts each 

 day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 11 p.m. to 

 3 a.m. During that time our rate of marching 

 scarcely ever exceeded a mile and a half per hour ; 

 for many hours were spent searching for a way, 

 cutting a passage for the camels, rearranging their 

 loads and attending to those who gave in on the 

 march. Of the twenty-four men with me, one of 

 the best and strongest of my porters was very 

 seriously ill, and five others came in tied to the backs 

 of camels. 



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