372 EXTRACTS FROM 
deal of yelling, the natural result being that not a single head 
of game left its safe retreat. 
We therefore remounted our horses and followed the rest 
of the party, riding over bad stony ground to the ridge of a 
projecting hill, from the northern slope of which we obtained 
a splendid view of the plains, the grey mountains to the west, 
and the rocky heights on the eastern side of the Jordan. 
Before us lay the entrance to the valley and the springs of 
Abd-el-Kader, the immediate goal of this day’s journey; but 
in these plains it takes a great deal of time to get to one’s 
destination, for it is often visible a long way off—a fact that 
was to be thoroughly impressed upon us to-day. 
The path led uninterruptedly over the steppe, always at the 
foot of the hills. Wherever one looked nothing but Storks 
were to be seen, and they allowed the horsemen to pass close 
by without even deigning to glance at them. Some birds of 
prey were also playing about in the air, and a pair of the large 
Asiatic Steppe Eagles flew low over my head; but though 
I quickly wnslung my gun,I could find nothing but ball- 
cartridges in my bag. 
The sun burnt frightfully, and the grey clouds which had 
darkened the sky in the morning had unfortunately entirely 
disappeared. We soon overtook the caravan, which presented 
a piteous spectacle, for the mules, urged on by the blows of 
their drivers, were painfully dragging themselves along at 
intervals of several hundred yards ; the effects of the great 
heat, the toilsome marches from Latrun on the other side of 
Jerusalem, and the scarcity of water yesterday being very 
evident, while almost all of them had sore backs from the 
pressure of the heavy baggage, as well as broken knees, 
After riding several hours we reached the entrance to the 
valley of Abd-el-Kader, which runs in a north-westerly 
direction between high mountains. The banks of the usual 
stream which flowed down the middle of it were covered with 
