PATROL WORK 47 



name, and naturally they begin to get out of hand. The 

 Nasr intervenes ; the prisoner is given over to him. 

 Five hours later the corporal proposes to go on. He 

 asks for his prisoner, who is in the midst of his pals. 

 These, with levelled spears, jeeringly call on the 

 corporal to take him. Nothing can be done, so the 

 corporal comes to me. This slightly exonerated the 

 Nasr, whom I ordered to send the prisoner to me at 

 El Eddaiya, which he did in about ten days' time. I 

 remember he got some very minor punishment. We 

 had taken just sixty-eight hours to get to Turda. I saw 

 from the way all the camels ate the grain, which I had 

 spread before them, that they were none the worse for 

 the journey. So, as I did not know these natives, and 

 it was not my intention to allow myself to be sur- 

 rounded by a disaffected section of Arabs, and lose, by 

 an undignified retreat, the good effect my surprise 

 visit may have caused, I moved off at sundown. From 

 Hamza Eff. I heard of a route by which we could get 

 to El Eddaiya without retracing our steps. With 

 considerable difficulty I secured a guide, who later 

 said he did not know the way. Very fortunately 

 in disarming the runaway's village I had secured the 

 spears of two visitors who, in exchange for their 

 return, volunteered to guide us. My first halt was to 

 be at Gereif, a small place a few miles from Turda. 

 The road was very broken, and brought us across a 

 good many small khors. By ill-luck half the patrol 

 went to the wrong village, and so delayed our departure 

 the following morning. 



As we waited at dawn for it to turn up a huge herd 



