312 LIFE WITH THE HAM RAN ARABS. 



after tying a rope round one leg he let it down, but fall- 

 ing with a jerk the rope broke, and away went the sheep 

 with all our happy calculations of stolen cutlets. Ibra- 

 him was not to be so easily defeated, so gave it chase, 

 and after the lapse of half an hour we found him resting 

 under a tree holding his recent companion by the leg. 

 Another escape, a little later, though cleverly planned, 

 was even less successful, for having made a bolt to 

 another flock the shepherd at once caught it and 

 gave it up, as he supposed, to its rightful owners. At 

 midday the baggage-camels passed us, and finding 

 that Mohamed had also added a sheep to our live 

 stock by some means or other we sent ours on with 

 him as it appeared resigned at last to its fate of 

 marching on till otherwise wanted. When about two 

 hours from our night halting-ground we saw one of our 

 Arabs resting under a tree with both sheep and goats. 

 He implored us to give him some water, as he said he 

 was dying' from thirst ; and as he looked in great 

 distress from this cause we gave him a good draught, 

 and he then promised to follow us immediately to the 

 next camp. 



The goats preferred joining our party, and so 

 thirsty were the poor brutes that they would scarcely 

 allow the Arab to drink from his bowl ; and after he 

 had had his fill we were still able to spare our 



