292 THE SECRET OF SAHARA: KUFARA 



is no water, all are within the power of the son of Sidi 

 el Mahdi. Our own prestige as friends of so important 

 and puissant a personage was, therefore, considerably 

 lowered v/hen we humbly suggested that the retinue had 

 better leave their varied armoury in Jaghabub as we could 

 not guarantee that the Egj^ptian frontier authorities 

 would allow them to enter Siwa. Yusuf looked blank. 



"But you will write a letter " he suggested. He knew 



the all-powerful, almost magical effect of a missive from 

 Sidi Idris in Libya, and reasoned that his guests could 

 surely arrange the simple affair of the rifles in their own 

 country by putting pen to paper. When we confessed our 

 impotence he entertained the gravest doubts as to our 

 position and respectability! 



We had decided to send Mohammed on to Jaghabub 

 _before sunrise so that we might sleep next night in a 

 house. Therefore, long after I had retired into my flea- 

 bag, I saw Hassanein and Yusuf struggling to shave our 

 delightful retainer by the light of the camp fire with a 

 safety razor blade held in a pair of pliers. Suleiman 

 "and Amar offered interested suggestions interspersed 

 with remarks on the number of grey hairs which had 

 resulted from the journey. 



In spite of the eight hours' journey ahead, Mohammed 

 donned his best clothes to present himself at the zawia 

 where he had been educated. Therefore I was surprised 

 when Yusuf started next morning in his ragged white 

 shirt and patched waterproof. "I always ride the last 

 day of a journey," he announced firmly, depositing him- 

 self on the least weary camel. 



We broke camp at 7 a.m. and straggled slowly by 

 dreaiy grey gherds and uneven stretches of colourless 

 sands and stones to a small hatia, Bahet Hafan, where a 

 few palms grew" among more fantastic boulders. The 

 heat was intense as we entered a country of low white 



