192 LIFE WITH THE H AMR AN ARABS. 



dentally set the short grass on our ground alight, and it 

 was only with great difficulty that we prevented the 

 flames creeping onwards and surrounding us. 



March i. Beyond shooting antelope for the special 

 benefit of lions, we have had no sport to-day. I proved 

 the killing powers of the Rigby express by dropping 

 two fine tetel out of a herd with a right-and-left, and, 

 reloading rapidly, bagging a third before they had time 

 to get out of shot. Having obtained such a good supply 

 of tempting food for our friends the lions, we decided upon 

 lying in ambush and watching the result. This proved 

 highly uninteresting, for the vultures soon surrounded 

 the more distant tetel, whilst others covered the trees 

 near us to wait patiently for our departure from what 

 was far from being a hiding-place so far as they were 

 concerned, and no lion appeared on the scene. 



Albert entertained us to-night with a fuller account 

 of his career as an oculist's assistant, and there can be no 

 doubt that he gained a great amount of useful informa- 

 tion, and indeed practical knowledge, from his master. 

 Feeling confident in his powers as an oculist, and think- 

 ing he might turn them to good account, he decided 

 upon making an experimental trip up the Nile the fol- 

 lowing winter ; and having hired a dahabeeah and sup- 

 plied it with an ample store of bottles and sulphate of 

 zinc, he induced a friend to accompany him as dragoman ; 

 and that his costume should be in keeping with the 



