304. THE SECRET OF SAHARA: KUFARA 



into the hatia, where the camels had to be turned loose to 

 graze. We found a palm clump and cooked rice in 

 the shade and Hassanein's smile grew a little more 

 twisted, in spite of my best efforts with bandages and 

 sHng. 



I would hardly allow the retinue to finish their noisy 

 gulps of tea. "What does it matter if you are tired?" 

 I flung at them. "That bone has got to be set to- 

 morrow night!" "Three and a half days from 

 Jaghabub to Siwa," said Yusuf mournfully. "We 

 would walk with you all night, but the camels will not 

 go." "They have got to go," said I sternly, but I knew 

 that our animals were very nearly exhausted. They 

 had come more than a thousand miles, with periods of 

 overloading and insufficient food. For nearly three 

 months they had had no rest but the eight days at 

 Kufara, and we had always hoped to leave them at 

 Jaghabub to recuperate. Unluckily, there was not a 

 single beast of burden in the zawia to take us on, so 

 we had to pick out the four least weary camels and 

 trust once more to luck. 



That afternoon was one of the longest I have ever 

 spent. When I saw Hassanein put away his compass I 

 knew that things must be pretty bad and the fantastic 

 hills were a tortuous maze through which we wandered 

 eternally! Yusuf pointed out the "Grid," a group of 

 three gherds which might serve to support the cooking- 

 pots of the largest giants. "We shall camp at Zaizeb," 

 he said and I prayed that it might be near. "Allah 

 kilone knows how far it is to that hatia," said Abu Bekr 

 placidly as we mounted, it seemed to me for the 

 millionth time, a little rise and saw nothing below but 

 reddish sand over hard, white blocks, in monstrous forms 

 that suggested beasts and edibles to the fanciful Amar. 

 Hassanein was the last of us to fall into silence. 



