The Father of all Sheep 2 1 7 



thin air with great force, raising a quivering 

 mirage over the plain. 



It was about one in the afternoon when we began 

 to ascend the gentle slope of a big round hill, from 

 the top of which we hoped to get an extensive 

 view. Our ponies wearily dragged themselves to 

 the top, and leaving them standing with heaving 

 flanks, we sat down to examine the view, and 

 lunch. The prospect was similar to that we had 

 been seeing all the morning, and indeed for days 

 past. In front, a great wide trough separated us 

 from the next swelling earth- wave, the colour shad- 

 ing from the green of the bottom to the brown of 

 the burtza-covered slopes and the yellows of sandy 

 tracts and stones. Beyond this, more earth- waves, 

 stretching away to infinity. The prevailing im- 

 pression was remoteness and loneliness " So 

 lonely 'twas that God Himself scarce seemed there 

 to be." I will confess my own examination did 

 not take long. I had in truth become a little 

 disgusted at the fruitlessness of our search, so I 

 left the shikari straining his eyes over the plain ; 

 and after untying my lunch canteen and water- 

 bottle from the saddle, selected a soft spot among 

 the stones and sat down under the shade of my 

 kharki umbrella. Cold mutton and chupattis did 

 not tempt me to linger over the meal, and the last 

 thing I saw before my head began to nod and my 



