o8 LIFE WITH THE HAMRAN ARABS. 



sent for to-day, so instead of covering it up with straw 

 and sticks, as we usually treat our dead animals to keep 

 off hungry birds or beasts, until the arrival of some of 

 our Arabs with camels, his hunter skinned it and cut 

 off the head. Before they had gone fifty yards from 

 the remaining carcass it was so completely covered with 

 huge vultures (more than a hundred), some of them 

 standing on the backs of others, that it seemed as if it 

 had been suddenly converted into a living mass. 



Coke has had a shot at a rhinoceros with his ten-bore 

 at twenty-five yards' distance, but it succeeded, though 

 severely wounded, in making good its escape. Uncle 

 Sam tracked it afterwards for more than a mile, and 

 now and again they found small pools of blood where 

 the animal had rested for a time ; but they could not 

 get within shot of it again, and finally gave up the hunt 

 for the day, as Uncle Sam was very thirsty and wanted 

 to return to the river for water. He is quite confident 

 they will find it to-morrow, and probably dead. 

 Upon myself fell the fortunes of the day, and singularly 

 enough so ; for when I told Essafi last evening that I 

 should remain at home to-day, he begged me not to do 

 so, as he was sure it would be his lucky day. 



After a long ride to near the foot of one of the 

 numerous low ranges of hills that almost surround 

 us, we found the fresh tracks of rhinoceros, and upon 

 arriving at a wood we dismounted, and, leading our 



