'A JOURNEY IN THE EAST: 249 



giving the beast a finishing shot as soon as I got a good 

 chance. 



A single wolf was the total result of this hunt, which might 

 easily have been a brilliant success, as at least four separate 

 wolves were shot at. We could not, however, continue it, 

 for one by one the dogs came out at the edge of the field dead 

 beat, the plucky animals having worked bravely in the 

 scorching heat. "We therefore returned to our horses, more or 

 less satisfied, and expressing our surprise at the number of wild 

 animals inhabiting this district, and the comical way of hunting 

 them in well-cultivated fields, as we do partridges at home. 



The caravan was soon in motion again, and wound through 

 the luxuriantly green fields by a bad and often marshy road. 

 The sun poured its burning rays upon us in a true African 

 fashion, the warmth of the atmosphere being shown by a 

 beautiful mirage. Even a Berber who was walking beside 

 my horse swore at the heat and perspired profusely. He 

 was a singular-looking fellow, for his black scarred face and 

 pointed curly beard showed that negro blood ran in his veins, 

 while his fine features indicated that he partly came of an 

 Arab stock. I had given him my gun to carry, and he 

 grinned with delight and showed his white teeth, while he 

 examined the European weapon with the air of a connoisseur. 



From our path we had a lovely view of the smiling fields, 

 the grey-green bushes by the water, and beyond them 

 of the broad surface of the lake itself, backed by the orange 

 lines of the Saharan desert. 



A Long-legged Buzzard, one of the characteristic birds 

 of this country, was sitting" on a hillock near our line of 

 inarch. 1 jumped off my horse and crept up to it, but failed 

 to kill it, as my shot was too small, whereupon the confiding 

 bird came nearer. Again I fired without success, and so it 

 went on until, in spite of the light shot, my fourth attempt 

 brought it to the ground. 



