ACROSS THE DESERT WITH SHE-IB 69 



ing, we drifted incredibly slowly along the vague track 

 marked by occasional cairns of stones. The aspect of 

 the country had slightly changed since we left the wadi. 

 It became undulating, with a series of slight waves 

 running from east to west, while the vegetation grew 

 scantier and scantier, till finally only a few tufts of coarse 

 grey bush a few inches high broke the wilderness of sand. 

 At 3 P.M. the undulating country lay behind us, and we 

 were on an absolutely flat plain. Two specks appeared 

 in the distance to materialise into a couple of travellers 

 on camels. They paused to ask our news and on hear- 

 ing we were bound for Kufara they entrusted Yusuf with 

 a few mejidies to be paid to somebody at our destination. 

 If he did not get there himself, he was to hand the 

 money on to another traveller. This transaction was 

 evidently a usual one and roused no comment. 



She-ib decided to camp shortly after 3, for he 

 observed a patch of sHghtly thicker grazing away to the 

 right of the track. Ten minutes after the last camel 

 had been barraked his men had made a wonderful 

 semicircular zariba of the boxes and sacks, with its 

 back to the wind, had spread rugs and blankets to form 

 a most comfortable shelter, and were busy making strong 

 Arab tea. It was done with infinite swiftness and deft- 

 ness, while we were still struggling with the tent in a 

 violent north wind. The previous day the gibli had 

 blown with a fairly high temperature at midday. This 

 morning the wind had been in the east, swinging round 

 to the north in the afternoon, yet the temperature at noon 

 had been nearly as high as on the previous day. Desert 

 weather seems to be quite illogical. The ground was so 

 hard that we could not drive in our tent pegs, so we 

 half buried the camel saddles in stones and tied the ropes 

 to them. Then we were called to try our skill at a shoot- 

 ing match wuth the Mojabras, who had set up a piece 



