EXORBITANT DEMANDS. 
231 
people understood at once that the affair was far 
more serious than they had anticipated, and began 
to be downhearted. They knew that they coald not 
proceed without their camels, and from their ex- 
pressions and looks I could foresee that the matter 
at last would have to be ended by a compromise. 
The enemy made various propositions, more or 
less agreeable to our ears. The first was simply 
that we, as infidels, should be given up to be put to 
death — an idea which, luckily, nobody seemed to 
consider proper or feasible. They then insisted 
that we should pass on no further, but should return 
by the way we had come — also declined. Next, 
they demanded that we should become Muslims — 
a proposition which our people refused even to men- 
tion to us. Finally, they coolly asked for half our 
goods and baggage, — no doubt their ultimate object. 
When they found that we would not agree to 
any of their proposals, but were determined rather to 
resist by the strong hand, a compromise was agreed 
upon. We paid them in goods to the value of 
three hundred and fifty reals, or about fifty pounds 
sterling, in order to get back our camels and be 
allowed to proceed. Even then, however, our 
caravan lost nine animals ; so that the Kailouees 
suffer more even than we do. We were obliged to 
put up with all this, and were glad enough when 
the Shereef Marabout at length professed himself 
satisfied, and volunteered his protection for the 
future. 
