IN THE BAN OF THE DESERT 523 
zigzag. We took all the advantage we could of the softer, 
rounded summits, going from the one to the other ; never- 
theless we were very often obliged to go down a steep 
slope which we found it impossible to get round. When, 
after some little hesitation, the camels began to slide down 
the loose sand, every man’s utmost watchfulness was 
needed, for the sand poured down after them in a torrent, 
covering them to the knees. 
We missed the small patches of hard clay soil of which 
we had pa.ssed so many during the first few days of our 
desert journey. We were now entirely amongst the sand. 
The last of the tamarisks, which still defied the visitation 
of death, was left behind. There was not a blade, not 
a leaf, to be seen ; nothing but sand, sand, sand — fine 
yellow sand — whole mountains of it, stretching over bound- 
less spaces, as far as the eye, with the field-glass to help it, 
was able to reach. No bird gave animation to the expanses 
of the sky. All traces of gazelle and deer had long since 
ceased. Even the very last promontory of the Masar-tagh 
had vanished from sight in the dust-haze that obscured the 
atmosphere. 
The poor dogs! How they suffered from the heat, 
in their thick hairy coats ! Hamrah in j^articular whined 
and howled, and lagged behind time after time. We 
spent a whole hour vainly looking for a suitable camping- 
ground, and at last, about dusk, found a very small patch 
of hard clay, where the last two tamarisks grew. Both 
trees were instantly peeled by the camels. Other green 
food there was of course none. We eave the animals 
oil and sesamum husks. We set about digging a well; 
but, as the sand still remained dry at a depth of 2 -^ feet, 
we abandoned the attempt. Then we missed Hamrah. 
We whistled ; we shouted. The dog did not appear ; nor 
did we ever see him again. Half-way from our last camp 
Mohammed Shah saw him scratch up the sand underneath 
one of the very last tamarisks we passed, and then lie 
down in it. The men believed the dog had died of 
sunstroke. With greater probability the sagacious animal 
had grown tired of running through the sand, had scented 
