‘A JOURNEY IN THE EAST,’ 3881 
Duke, too, soon came back from the other side of the swamp, 
also driven away by the foul air, so we mounted the horses 
which the excellent Ferdinand had brought and rode home- 
wards. 
We often put up Francolins from the thick sedge, and 
killed several of them. While riding over the steppe grass 
I wanted to see how soon it could be fired, so threw down 
some lighted matches, and in a few instants a great fire was 
kindled, which spread so rapidly that we were obliged to ride 
away from it at a gallop; and next morning we still saw in 
the distance a large extent of that part of the steppe enveloped 
in clouds of smoke. We soon got back to Baisdn, whither 
the other sportsmen had also returned with a certain amount 
of spoil. 
In the afternoon we all left the camp again, and dispersed 
among the grass-covered tracts near the village, where the 
Francolins had been calling the whole day. This fine large 
game-bird is easy to shoot and exceedingly good to eat, and 
is therefore greatly coveted by the travelling sportsman. 
Each of us took some Bedouins or servants to beat a certain 
place, for we had divided the best localities near the village 
into definite beats, so that we might not interfere with each 
other. 
I was just in the thick of the shooting, when I was suddenly 
seized with a violent attack of giddiness, while a feeling akin 
to paralysis in my feet, a bad headache, and, in spite of the 
heat, an icy cold sensation throughout my body, compelled 
me to crawl home as best I could. An attack of fever, such 
as comes on in this climate in the course of a few minutes, 
had suddenly struck me down while in the best of health; 
every muscle ached and every step was painful. On reach- 
ing the camp I had to take a large dose of quinine, after 
which I crept into bed in a pitiful state. The other sports- 
men came back well laden with Francolin. 
