326 LIFE WITH THE HAMRAN ARABS. 



and figs, a handful of tea, and half a pint of whisky 

 in our old friend the ' telescope ' barrel. Two pint 

 saucepans, with spoons, knives, forks, and cups com- 

 pleted the list, excepting the important items of two 

 water-skins and a leathern water-bottle. In fact it 

 amounted to this, that there would be about enough 

 food for Ranfurly, a limited supply of rice for the two 

 men and myself, and that for our meat we must trust to 

 the rifle ; and as we had saved half yesterday 's gazelle, 

 there was something to start upon. Taking therefore 

 into consideration the very great importance of not losing 

 a day, I decided upon carrying out Ranfurly's wishes, 

 and at the hour named we again turned our steps home- 

 wards. Ranfurly is now fully aware of the grave 

 character of his illness, but we say little about it, for all 

 our thoughts are centred in the hope that we may 

 reach Souakim, and this makes him keep up his pluck 

 wonderfully. Frequently I turned round yesterday to 

 look at him, expecting each moment that he would tell 

 me he could no longer face the storm, but the never-fail- 

 ing smile of patient endurance was his silent response. 

 No sand of importance blown up this morning, but the 

 wind has been almost as violent as yesterday, and it 

 was so fatiguing to face it continuously that we were 

 obliged to call a halt after four hours. Gazelle soup 

 and half a pint of ' bread and milk ' flavoured with 

 whisky made a good luncheon for Ranfurly, whilst the 



