en. X. ANOTHER NIGHT ADVENTURE. 269 



night. In the open there was no difficulty in following 

 the track along the torrent ; but at one place, in riding 

 through a walnut grove, we were reminded of our night- 

 adventure in the Ait Mesan valley. The thicker branches 

 of the walnut do not, however, lie low, as do those of 

 the olive, nor are they beset with the stiff jagged leaf- 

 less branchlets that made the latter so dangerous in the 

 dark. 



The grove was traversed without trotible ; but another 

 unlooked-for experience was in store for us. We had 

 complained in the morning of what seemed a round- 

 about way taken in descending from Iminteli to the 

 bottom of the valley ; and perhaps the sheik now took 

 a malicious pleasure in showing us the advantages of a 

 sbort cut. Leading the way, he rode across the torrent, 

 which barely reached the horse's knees, and began to 

 ascend the slope above the left bank. Before long he 

 struck into the bed of a brawling streamlet that came 

 tumbling over loose boulders down the declivity. As we 

 advanced, the way became steeper, and shut in on either 

 side by tall bushes and straggling climbers, all, as it 

 seemed, beset with hooks and spines. There was nothing 

 for it but to rely on our riding animals to carry us through 

 as best they could, and wonderfully they demeaned them- 

 selves. Though patches of sky showed overhead, to our 

 eyes the ground below was absolutely invisible ; the 

 boulders were evidently very large and slippery, and it 

 was only by the most desperate struggles that the poor 

 beasts succeeded in clambering up the slope, pausing 

 frequently, with muscles quivering all over from the 

 violence of their renewed struggles. The only thing for 

 the riders to do was to hold on at all hazards, and keep 

 their heads bent low, so as to save their faces from 

 the spiny branches, that made havoc of their nether 

 garments. 



The time seemed very long before we finally emerged 

 on the shelf of moie level ground which lies along this 



