THESOURCE OF THE NILE: 575 
_ anywhere; our camels are lame; we were to follow, as foon 
as they could be able to travel, to join thofe at the Nile. 
The parties of the Bifhareen are always pafling here, fome- 
times more, fometimes lefs; they will not come till they 
hear from the Nile whether the grafs is grown. They have 
with them two dromedaries, who will carry the news from 
the Nile in three days, or they will come in {mall parties 
like the laft, for they have no fear in thefe parts. The wells 
to the north belong to the Ababdé. When they pafs by 
them with cattle they are always in great numbers, and a 
Shekh along with them; but thofe wells are now fo fcan- 
ty they have not water for any number, and they mutt 
therefore all pafs this way.” 
I Gor up, and called on I{mael. The poor fellow thought 
he was to die. Life is fweet even to the moft miferable. 
He was ftill upon his knees, holding his hands clafped round 
the back of his neck, and already, I fuppofe, thought he felt 
the edge of I{fmael’s knife. He {wore that. every word he 
had fpoken was truth; andif his wife was brought fhe could 
not tell another ftory.. . 
T rHERevPON left him, and went to his wife, who, when 
fhe faw Hagi Ifmael with a drawn fword in his hand, 
thought all was over with her hufband, and fell into a vio- 
Tent fit of defpair, crying out, “ That all the men were liars 
and murderers, but that fhe would have told the truth if I 
had afked her firft.” “ Then go, Hagi Ifmael, faid J, tell 
them not to put him to death till Icome,and now you have 
‘your chance, which if you do not improve by telling the 
truth, I will firft flay your child with my own hand before 
your face, and then order you all to be cruelly put to 
3, death 
