286 THE SECRET OF SAHARA: KUFARA 



Jaghabub lay north-east, and his only explanation was 

 that it was easier to approach the place from the west. 

 Logically, I thought it would be easier to strike east, 

 so that if one went past Jaghabub one would at least 

 reach Siwa. To the west lay only the seven days' 

 waterless stretch to Jalo. 



However, Suleiman was immovable and we plodded 

 wearily on, placing one foot in front of the other with 

 desperate firmness and flinging ourselves flat on our 

 faces for a few minutes' blessed sleep whenever the 

 camels lingered to feed. I remember wondering, as I 

 dragged myself up after one of these short respites, how 

 many separate and distinct aches one's body could feel 

 at the same moment. I was getting quite interested 

 in the problem when Hassanein's bronzjed face — ^it 

 seemed to have grown hollow these last few days — 

 appeared beside me. He was painfully shuffling on 

 blistered feet after a twelve hours' walk the previous 

 day. "When we get to Cairo everyone vrill say. 

 What fun you must have had!' " he said drearily. 

 Even this idea could not make me speak. I had dis- 

 covered it was easier to walk with my eyes shut and so, 

 mutely, I shuffled after the guide, dragging my stick 

 till I dropped it and was too tired to pick it up again. 



Yes, it was a bad day, but it ended at last with a 

 few patches of black pebbles, sure sign that we were 

 nearing the northern edge of the dunes. Even the 

 sand rash, combined with a most remarkable tasting dish 

 produced by Hassanein's efforts to clean the frying-pan, 

 could not keep me awake that night and I slept soundly 

 till Yusuf's plaintive voice, saying all in one breath, 

 "AUah-make-you-strong-the-fire-is-ready-for - the -rice!" 

 roused me to a starry world and an exceedingly damp 

 one, but I imagine these very heavy dews helped the 

 thirsty camels considerably, so I didn't regret a wet 



