ON TllK lil-M Ln-' llIK DK.SKKT 137 



tliree days, being nearly always out from before sunrise 

 until sunset. During' that time I saw sheep alxuil a do/.eii 

 times, but I got shots at (mix Ibui' — two of which I 

 secured and Kt.sl a thiriL It was (juite a rare cNcnt to 

 (liseover them with the glass, and this sickened our 

 eliamois hunters. Celestin was eoustanlh- exelaiuiinu-. as lie 

 closed his glass witli a snap, "'('ehi n amuse pas (h' ricn 

 voir," wliile tlie more phlegmatic Andreas in (K'spair 

 wouM (h'eamily search (or camels on the distant phiin. 

 r>ut il" oiu' did ha])})cn to get a view of a Itaiid in an 

 undisturbed condition, the difficulties W(M'c not over, 

 owine- h) liie fact tliat the animal is constantK shiftiuL;' to 

 avoid the ooats and tlieir Arab owners. Nor is that the 

 onl\- reason for their restlessness. Tliough it is forlii(hh'n 

 to the Arabs to cai'r\- firearms, we li'e(pu'ntly saw them 

 prowling al)Out with thi'ir hmg IhntfM'ks. which seem to 

 ha\(' run to iiarrel at the ex))ense of the stocl<. The\' 

 are seldom successful, but the game is not the less 

 di>i urheil. 



Of another (btHcult}' we \ ery eai-|y became aware. 

 Visitors to Kg\'pt will rememhei- how main' of the ancient 

 monoliths ring like bells. So here the ib-y rocks are 

 resonant to a deuTee of" which 1 had had no pre\ious 

 ex]»erience, and to walk silentK' in iiaile(l hoots is almost 

 impossible. The Arabs who wear sandals of c//" grass 

 move noiseless! \'. and A ndreas, for a i ime. aijopi id i he nal i\'e 

 I'ashi'iii with loleralde success, but our Alpine nails ela>lied 

 and rang, step one never so (hdii-ately. The dilliciilt}- is, 

 exeejit f)r one defect, couiploteh' met b\- thick' iiidia- 

 i'ubl»er soles. Indcrd. Hot onK are llic\- \>yy .silent. Iml 

 they gi^'c (piite a new sense of power ami seciuiix in 



