116 KIND ATTENTIONS 



room for me. As I expected he was going to remain, 

 I pulled off my boots and belt, and laid them with 

 my pistols down at some little distance from me, 

 and should have gone immediately to sleep, had not 

 Ohmed Mahomed, made preparations to depart, and 

 told me, as he got out, that I must not sleep till 

 Zaido came with my rice. This was quite an acci- 

 dental observation, and so natural, that I only asked 

 him to send Zaido quickly, and took up a position 

 by placing myself at full length across the entrance 

 of the cave, which was not above eight feet wide, 

 so that Moosa and Garahmee, who had been squat- 

 ting in their usual manner in front, could not con- 

 veniently come in. 



Some moments after Ohmed Mahomed left, 

 Garahmee, under pretence of stretching himself, 

 laid down his spear, and turning round walked 

 some little way until he could get a good view of 

 the camp, towards which he looked with an inqui- 

 sitive gaze, that told me at once I had been 

 betrayed into this place for the purpose of assassi- 

 nation, and felt assured that a struggle for my life 

 was now at hand. My heart beat thick, but I 

 determined not to show the least feeling of mistrust 

 until their game had begun ; and placing myself a 

 little more under cover of the roof of the cave, 

 awaited the first signal of attack to seize my pistols, 

 and defend myself as I best might. It may be 

 astonishing to suppose how two men could so far 

 overcome the fear of being instantly killed by my 



