290 EXTRACTS FROM 



walked close up to the base of the high mountain and concealed 

 ourselves between two large masses of rock, after tying up a 

 bleating kid a few yards in front to a stake which we had 

 brought with us. A quarter of an hour had hardly gone by 

 when a white-robed Bedouin came riding along on a camel, 

 singing doleful ditties this strange rider on his tall steed 

 having a fine effect in the monotonous desert. 



The bleating of the kid seemed to attract the Bedouin's 

 attention, for he stopped, looked about, and began muttering 

 to himself, but then rode on again without having seen us. 

 Not long afterwards, when all was quite quiet again, I heard the 

 sound of an animal creeping up. The kid began to bleat and 

 jump about in terror, and I soon saw a dark form larger than 

 a wolf approaching the decoy ; so, taking a good aim, I fired, 

 and the shot was followed by an angry howl of pain ; but on 

 hastening up to the place, we found nothing but a trail, 

 which led towards the mountains. Much vexed at this, we 

 returned to the steamer, and as I felt sure that it was a 

 Hyaena, I told my jager to go out at daybreak and follow the 

 tracks of the wounded beast. 



By the time we reached the vessel all the other gentlemen 

 had returned. The Grand Duke had seen jackals, but had 

 unfortunately failed to kill any, while Hoyos had been lucky 

 enough to bag one. 



On the 10th the sun was high in the heavens when I awoke, 

 and we had already been going down-stream for an hour. 

 Asking after my jager, I heard that he had found the wounded 

 animal a few hundred yards from the place where it was 

 shot at ; but, alas ! it was no Hyaena, but one of those half-wild 

 savage village dogs which throughout Egypt roam about near 

 the towns the whole night long, on the look-out for plunder. 

 My jager had also seen a very large Lynx, which ran into a 

 hole in the outer wall of El-Kaab, a few paces in front of him. 



Perhaps I may here be allowed to say a few words about 



