OUR TROUBLES INCREASE. 297 



before crossed, and if they had not already halted we 

 felt sure that they would not do so until they reached the 

 other side of it ; and then the anxious question came, how 

 would Ranfurly bear the fatigue ? Albert again soon dis- 

 tanced us when once en route, and though we frequently 

 strained our eyes in looking for the horse, we never saw 

 it again until on arriving at a wood some hours after- 

 wards, we found it tied to a tree, and close to the rest 

 of our party. Ranfurly, though much exhausted, was very 

 thankful to have accomplished so much of the journey ; 

 and, after a little food, both he and Albert quickly fell 

 into a sound sleep. Vivian and myself were not long in 

 following their example, and only awoke when the sun, 

 by shining directly on our heads, aroused us to the fact 

 that he was up for the day, and that the sooner we 

 sought shelter from him the better. Much as we have 

 had cause to grumble at mimosa-thorns, we now found 

 them most useful in supporting blankets that we 

 stretched between the trees as a means of obtaining the 

 shade which the trees themselves were too small to yield. 

 Ibrahim says that the camel-men would not halt till 

 they arrived here, and it certainly was better to do this 

 than stop in the middle of the plain. With two such 

 serious cases of illness, and the great difficulties we have 

 experienced through the incapacity of Albert, we could 

 not well afford to add to our troubles ; but an unlucky 

 cloud is hanging over our heads, for Mohamed the cook, 



