188 IMPROVEMENT IN FOOD. 



was to seek for shelter among the high grass, either 

 to cover himself from the exuected shot in return, or 

 to hide himself altogether from my sight. Seeing 

 me, however, turning from him and look towards 

 the deer, to see if any chance of obtaining a shot 

 still existed, he made off directly to Ohmed Medina, 

 to whom he was relating all the particulars when I 

 came up. With apparent fear, that for the future I 

 should mistrust his intentions towards me, he im- 

 mediately took my hand between his, and protested 

 in an emphatic manner, that it had been the decep- 

 tion of my appearance, which had so extraordinarily 

 misled him, in this attempt to procure some venison. 

 I readily excused him ; but after this adventure it 

 was determined that we should return to camp, as 

 in our limited sporting ground, there was no hope 

 of obtaining that day, such another chance as the 

 one we had just lost; and besides, the sun was 

 getting so exceedingly powerful, that we were all 

 glad to escape from its burning rays. 



Omah Suis, in return for the presents I had 

 made his mother, brought me several pounds of fine 

 Owssa dates, which added not a little to the savouri- 

 ness of my rice puddings, for I had begun to boil 

 my usual mess with milk instead of water, adding 

 not a little to Zaido's knowledge of cooking, which 

 had wonderfully increased since his association with 

 me, he having learnt to curry a guinea-fowl, and to 

 make sougee-gruel almost as well as myself. 



On the occasions of previous journeys, he often 



