268 LIFE WITH THE HAMRAN ARABS. 



better than a piece of card fitted round the barrels 

 near the sight. During three hours' watching nothing 

 was heard or seen to move near us excepting two 

 hippos that came out of a pool above us, and having 

 walked close past us quite leisurely they entered the 

 river again at a lower point to pay a visit, probably, to 

 their next-door neighbours. It being then too late to 

 expect any elephants to do us a similar honour, my 

 bed a VArabe looked too attractive to be longer 

 resisted, and having warned Essafi not to disturb me 

 on account of visitors, unless they were unpleasantly 

 obtrusive, I was quickly lost to consciousness. Awaking 

 at dawn I found Essafi had also retired to his couch 

 during the night, so it was as well that no visitors did 

 arrive. After sunrise our horses were brought out to 

 us, as well as some hot breakfast, and the day was 

 spent in the elephant woods. We found numerous very 

 recent tracks, but it was evident that the herd had 

 gone to retreats beyond the reach of a day's hunt. I 

 might have had a shot at a small leopard in our path, 

 but I did not wish to disturb the country by firing, 

 so after looking savagely at us for a moment it 

 sprang into the long grass and disappeared. Some- 

 times we ride through grass far above our heads, but 

 as a rule it does not exceed three or four feet in 

 height. During my absence last night from camp 

 a few Arab guests arrived, and by special request a 



