THE RED SEA HILLS 371 



The incident formed one more pretty instance of animal- 

 sympathy, several of which are elsewhere recorded in this 

 book. The free ariel had been "standing-by " their 

 companion in distress, and a side-wind of sympathy had 

 somehow spread at second-hand to the quartette of 

 Isabellas. The latter, from their position, could not 

 themselves have sighted the prostrate ariel, since it lay 

 deep down in the glen, below their line of vision. But 

 some subtle bond of electric telepathy arrested their feet. 



We carried the little "Isabella" down to the spot 

 where the ariel lay, and were already busy off-skinning 

 the game when we perceived two natives, with a dog, 

 watching us from a ridge beyond. Thinking they might 

 probably be the legitimate owners of the snared ariel, we 

 hailed them to come down. No sort of notice did they 

 take. We therefore sent one of our men to bring them 

 in. They were Hadendowas, one of them grizzly with 

 age. I have before expressed my opinion of these surly 

 savages, and this interview confirmed it. Had these two 

 read and marked my most caustic notes on the subject, 

 they could not, by their demeanour, have better corrob- 

 orated their cogency. Not a sign of recognition or friend- 

 liness did the loutish pair evince ; not even of gratitude 

 when we gave them the meat of both antelopes. 



Admittedly by every principle of right as we under- 

 stand such they were entitled to the ariel. But not 

 even elementary sentiments of justice reign in these 

 regions where might is right and possession the only title. 

 By chance we had happened first on their captured 

 prey : that we should surrender it to its lawful captors 

 was an idea that never penetrated their skulls. These 

 Hadendowas, in fact, never even expected the return of 

 their snare ! Once, for half a second, I thought the eyes 

 of the older savage sparkled at the prospect of "meat"; 

 if so, it was the most" transient glimmer, and quite un- 

 certain at that. Not a gesture of gratitude escaped them, 

 and personally I left them to their butchering with the 



