54 SERVICE AND SPORT IN THE SUDAN 



out on this patrol showed any signs of it a month 

 later. There was, however, no point in taking all 

 my camels, fresh or tired, along with me now ; so I 

 determined to leave all but my two orderlies behind 

 to come on slowly, while I, with these two men, 

 picking up guides as we went, returned at once to 

 my headquarters, where the work of building the 

 station and laying in stores of grain required my 

 presence. I therefore paid my return visit to the 

 Sultan. I found him seated on an angareb outside 

 the zariba of his collection of well-built huts, the chief 

 men, as before, crowding each other, and him for the 

 matter of that, oi¥ it, though there were several other 

 unoccupied ones near by. I had one to myself, but not 

 before Hamza Eff., for whom room was made near 

 the Sultan, had warned off some would-be sharers of 

 it. After an exchange of compliments, I returned to 

 my camp. I had just finished saddling up when the 

 Sultan paid me another visit. I saw in the corner of 

 his eye that he wanted something, but could not guess 

 what it was. I started, got fifty yards on my way, and 

 then a wazir ran up to say that the Sultan wished to 

 speak to me. He came up and said " Good-bye " 

 again. I started again, and another ancient pursued me. 

 Fortunately, Hamza Eff. stepped into the breach at 

 this juncture and told me that the Sultan was longing 

 for one of the men's green belts to use as a turban. 

 The moment he got it he was off like a shot — whether 

 to peacock before his subjects, or lest I should change 

 my mind, I leave to the reader. From his appearance 

 one would not have suspected him, off-hand, of vanity. 



