<!H. XX.] A Rusk for lValcj\ 125 



for making it. AVe had already promised him the 

 cloak, due to his position as Sheykh, as soon as we 

 should be able to buy liim one, but he was not 

 satisfied. I am sorry all the same that j\lr. S. 

 should have spoken to him as he did, for he 

 told him his request was only worthy of a fellah. 

 Meshur, who was present, very properly took his 

 uncle's part, but Beteyen would not be appeased. 

 Of course all nesfotiations for the mare are now at 



o 



an end, but I care more for the disairreeable thousfht 

 that we have made an enemy — our only one — in 

 the desert. 



We marched a little earlier than the rest of 

 our neighbours, and soon got clear of the Go- 

 mussa, and travelled on during the day with an 

 advanced party of Welled AJi, who were hurrying 

 on to the wells with their sheep, now two days 

 without being watered. These Welled Ali shep- 

 herds are a rougher set than the Sebda, and were not 

 over-polite. I think with a little encouragement in 

 the way of timidity on our part, they might even 

 have become aggressive, but Ave were too well 

 mounted and too well armed to be afraid of them. 

 The plain to-day was covered Avith hares, which 

 jumped up before us as the great line of camels, 

 sheep, and horsemen swept it like an army of 

 beaters. These were pursued ]3y greyhounds, and 

 by Wilfrid on horseback, who coursed and shot two 

 alone on Hagar. She is quite frosli again in spite 

 of the heat and the scarcity of water, nnd enjoyed 



