'A JOURNEY IN THE EAST: 381 



Duke, too, soon came back from the other side of the swamp, 

 also driven away hy the foul air, so we mounted the horses 

 which the excellent Ferdinand had brought and rode home- 

 wards. 



We often put up Francolins from the thick sedge, and 

 killed several of them. While riding over the steppe grass 

 I wanted to see how soon it could be fired, so threw down 

 some lighted matches, and in a few instants a great fire was 

 kindled, which spread so rapidly that we were obliged to ride 

 away from it at a gallop ; and next morning we still saw in 

 the distance a large extent of that part of the steppe enveloped 

 in clouds of smoke. We soon got back to Baisan, whither 

 the other sportsmen had also returned with a certain amount 

 of spoil. 



In the afternoon we all left the camp again, and dispersed 

 among the grass-covered tracts near the village, where the 

 Francolins had been calling the whole day. This fine large 

 game-bird is easy to shoot and exceedingly good to eat, and 

 is therefore greatly coveted by the travelling sportsman. 

 Each of us took some Bedouins or servants to beat a certain 

 place, for we had divided the best localities near the village 

 into definite beats, so that we might not interfere with each 

 other. 



I was just in the thick of the shooting, when I was suddenly 

 seized with a violent attack of giddiness, while a feeling akin 

 to paralysis in my feet, a bad headache, and, in spite of the 

 heat, an icy cold sensation throughout my body, compelled 

 me to crawl home as best I could. An attack of fever, such 

 as comes on in this climate in the course of a few minutes, 

 had suddenly struck me down while in the best of health; 

 every muscle ached and every step was painful. On reach- 

 ing the camp I had to take a large dose of quinine, after 

 which I crept into bed in a pitiful state. The other sports- 

 men came back well laden with Francolin. 



