was capable of every fault associated 

 with a vicious disposition. And, indeed, 

 when, some days later, our favorite Cam- 

 el, when passing an Arab riding a 

 donkey, turned his head suddenly and 

 gave the man's arm a vicious bite, we 

 were well satisfied that our friend's es- 

 timate of the Camel's disposition was ab- 

 solutely correct. The wound inflicted by 

 our animal was very severe, as the bite 

 of a Camel usually is. We sought our 

 friend's aid in adjusting the matter and 

 he related some of his experiences with 

 this ungrateful animal. 



At one time he was the owner of a 

 Camel to which he had always been es- 

 pecially kind. He started on a journey 

 across the desert, and after annoying him 

 in every possible way with a continued 

 persistence surprising in so stupid a 

 beast, the Camel, in a fit of rage, broke 

 into a gallop, throwing the gentleman 

 from his saddle to the ground, trampled 

 upon him and then galloped away at its 

 own sweet will. We were also told that 

 when the natives found that their Camels 

 had a grudge against them, they so feared 

 the revengeful beasts that they would 

 place their clothing before the Camel and 

 hide themselves behind bushes. The ani- 

 mal would then expend its rage upon the 

 clothing, trampling and tearing it ; the 

 injury, real or imagined, would then be 

 forgotten. 



As it is about impossible to retain one's 

 seat on a galloping Camel, they are 

 trained only to trot. "The steady, alter- 

 nating movement of the legs on the op- 

 posite side of the animal stops the side- 

 ways jolting motion, and if the rider 

 skillfully lies back in his saddle, he ex- 

 periences no more inconvenience from 

 the still somewhat violent shaking up 

 than he would if he were on horseback." 



After purchasing our Camels, we be- 

 gan to study the habits and needs of our 

 new acquisitions. We found ourselves 

 obliged to provide food of a kind that 

 caused us some surprise. Our Camels 

 were far from fastidious. In fact, the 

 poorer the food, the better it seemed to 

 suit the needs of these peculiar beasts for 

 the dryest of vegetation was acceptable. 

 Shrubs and thorny branches were rapidlv 

 disposed of and one wondered that even 



their callous mouths could take them 

 without injury. They were also fond of 

 small beans, peas and vetches and were 

 not averse to making a juicy meal on cul- 

 tivated fields. But this indulgence was 

 to be avoided, as it was liable to produce 

 inflammation and death. 



The idea that Camels when working 

 could go very long periods without food 

 and water, we found to be erroneous. The 

 true ruminant has four stomachs ; the 

 Camel has three divisions only. The first 

 two divisions are provided with cells or 

 pouches which can be closed by strong 

 muscles. These contain fluid only and it 

 it on acount of this peculiar construction 

 that the animal can go several days with- 

 out water, but when traveling in the heat 

 of an African desert, at least every four 

 days, the Camel must have water, nour- 

 ishment and rest. 



On account of their acute smell, they 

 will detect water at some distance and it 

 is really an interesting sight when thirsty, 

 tired-out Camels draw near to a well or 

 river. They lift their heads high in the air, 

 inhale long breaths with half-closed eyes, 

 lay their ears back and then start to run, 

 so that one has to sit firmly in the saddle 

 if he does not wish to be thrown out. 

 When the beasts finally reach the well 

 they crowd to the water and give them- 

 selves up to the enjoyment of drinking. 



The food supply which assists the 

 Camel in times of fasting is stored in the 

 hump, which is really one great lump of 

 fat. In times of plenty this is firm and 

 pyramid-like in form, and may weigh as 

 much as thirty pounds, but after pro- 

 longed hunger it will nearlv disappear; 

 weighing perhaps only four to six 

 pounds. 



This provision of nature, added to its 

 peculiar stomach, makes the Camel in 

 many respects the most useful of domestic 

 animals. It has been domesticated from 

 very early times. We know that they 

 were owned in great numbers four thou- 

 sand years ago. Pharaoh gave them as a 

 present to Abraham and the patriarch 

 Job had at one time a herd numbering 

 six thousand. 



A baby Camel is a misshapen little 

 thing, but like all young animals it is 

 playful and interesting. It is about three 



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