STRANDED IN THE DESERT. 307 



basin of bread and milk which had been placed by Ran- 

 furly's bedside. Awaking at 4 A.M., I roused up our 

 .staff, and then looked round the camp for the Arabs, but 

 neither man nor camel could be seen, so it was supposed 

 that they had remained at the water last night and that 

 they would return at sunrise, and we all laid down again. 

 Soon afterwards I saw one Arab quietly arrive, and I 

 told the soldier. He at once jumped up and seized 

 hold of the man, but could obtain no information from 

 him with regard to his companions. The soldier then, 

 as a useful precaution, tied him up hand and foot to a 

 tree, and a native of the village was sent to the water to 

 look for the others. He returned with the bad news that 

 they were not there, and then it became only too appa- 

 rent that they had gone off with their camels and had 

 left us stranded in the desert. Our prisoner then became 

 more communicative, and said that his comrades had 

 gone on to Souakim or to some village two or three 

 days from here, because their camels were so tired 

 after their journey from Souakim to Kassala that they 

 felt sure they could not return to Souakim laden. They 

 have carried off two water-barrels and some skins, but 

 have left most of their saddles and ropes with us, and 

 when we caught the Arab it is supposed he was about 

 to take away some of the ropes when he imagined we 

 were asleep. Ibrahim's donkey has now become a 

 useful friend to us, for we have been able to despatch a 



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