30 THE SECRET OF SAHARA: KUFARA 



when the blow fell. The black wazir arrived in consider- 

 able perturbation. 'Not only was there no news of our 

 camels or of our soldiers, but our opponents were well 

 aware that a caravan was starting for Kufara in a few 

 days' time and that we hoped to travel with it "for a 

 day or two." Hassanein turned to me with blazing eyes 

 in a chalk white face. "It's come to a fight," he said, 

 "and I'm glad." I used to be amused sometimes at 

 the way he shirked doing the simplest things till the 

 last moment, but in sudden emergencies the whole 

 strength and energy of the man flamed out and there 

 was no one in the world I would rather have beside me. 

 He grasped essentials rapidly and left me to fill in details. 

 "It's flight on two camels and the caravan must follow!" 

 he said. As usual, I started to work out the practical 

 possibilities while he went to gain further news. 



I -think I shall always remember that long dragging 

 afternoon. The wind was full of dust, but I took the 

 pony and went down to one of the encampments feeling 

 I simply could not smile. I felt hopeless and trapped 

 as if a net were closing round me and there was a numb 

 dead ache at my heart. Nevertheless I could not help 

 responding to the smiles of -the Beduin women who 

 pressed round me, brilliant blots of colour in their orange 

 and black, or red and black barracans, with blue tribe 

 marks tattoed on their foreheads and half a dozen 

 huge silver ear-rings dangling beneath their plaited hair. 

 One laughed at my white hands against her black skin. 

 "You have soap to wash with. We have none," she 

 said. The lounging white figures in the suq stared at 

 me curiously as I passed, but did not protest. They 

 had stoned a "Christian dog" from Zuetina the day 

 before, but I was the Sayed's guest and therefore 

 honoured. A dignified sheikh gave me greeting. He 

 was a Haji and he told me: "We are all under the 



