154 SHORT STALKS 



These same dates of Tuggurt were a joy and consolation to 

 us throughout the trip, but they had their troublous side. 

 They had an awkward habit of getting loose among the 

 clothes, and especially the Ijlankets, and there dispers- 

 ing themselves, till there was nothing left but the mere 

 skeleton of a stone. There was no remedy except the 

 Arab plan, to rub over the greasy stain with a handful 

 of desert sand. Dry dirt is their only soap, and it is not 

 ineffective. 



From the adjoining range of Bou Arif we again took 

 sportsman's toll, l)ut the old patriarch ram for whom we 

 lusted eluded us to the last. ( Jnlv on the last dav, on our 

 way back to the railway and civilisation, did a real bit of 

 unexpected luck fall in our way. 



Once, on the Ahmar Khadou range, 1 had caught a 

 glimpse of a herd of gazelles, which from the length of 

 horn of the leader I believe to have l^een the large rough- 

 coated mountain kind. I was shifting camp and riding 

 one of the mules when tw^elve of these handsome animals 

 crossed the track. Of course the riHe was behind, and, 

 l)y the time I went after them, I found an Aral) with a 

 gun as long as himself in front of me. He had already 

 succeeded in showing himself to them, and further pursuit 

 was useless. 



Wc thought there was little chance of obtainino- this 

 coveted trophy, liut between our last camp and VA Outaja 

 there is a lono; red rido-e call(Ml "Ben a C^houf," on wliich 

 we were told tliere were some of these cdmi. We were 

 very sceptical, as the ridge was a low one, and there were 

 Arabs all over it, for we could see their fires on it at niirlit. 

 Still it lay on the way, and we would try a drive. 



