PLANS FOR THE FLIGHT 27 



clinched his acceptance by repeating the "Fatha," the 

 opening "sura" of the Koran. This is only done on 

 very important and solemn occasions and it constitutes 

 at the same time a blessing and an oath. 



Even then our kindly host was not satisfied, but 

 insisted on sending an escort with us, ten soldiers of his 

 guard, coal-black slaves, under a commander called Abdul 

 Rahim. He also determined to settle the vexed question 

 of camels once for all by sending a caravan of his own 

 to Kufara to bring back some of his belongings and 

 allowing us to travel with it. To am^one who does not 

 know the East, it would now appear that things were 

 successfully settled. Not a bit of it! The soldiers were 

 at Zuetina, distant 24 miles. The camels were at least 

 two days' journey away, a matter of 60 miles. They 

 were vaguely described as being in the region of Antelat, 

 the house of Sayed Rida's family. Each day we 

 watched the horizon v/ith anxious eyes. Each day we 

 counted eagerly every row of black specks that ap- 

 peared amidst the sun-browned grass and rock, but 

 neither camels nor soldiers appeared. We had decided 

 that the caravan should announce its departure for noon 

 and that in reality the long line of camels should steal 

 past our door at 3 a.m. A few would be driven round 

 a convenient wall and loaded hastily with all our outfit, 

 after which we could mount and be 50 kilometres away 

 before anyone knew of our departure! We could leave 

 letters explaining a sudden opportunity and an equally 

 sudden determination, and send back further notes from 

 every oasis en route. 



Unfortunately, it was a race against time, for everj^- 

 one was growing suspicious at my inexplicable desire to 

 stay so long in a little mud village on the edge of the 

 world. Omar, our Government interpreter, was deter- 

 mined to get back to Benghazi for Christmas. The 



