CHAPTER LXVII. 
WHERE IS THE TARIM? 
T hrough dead woods and past solitary dying 
poplars we made our way northwards, over the 
rudimentary sand-dunes. For another half-day’s march, 
we were able to distinguish plainly the old river-bed, 
although the water no longer reached it. The sand- 
dunes, however, increased in height from twelve feet to 
twenty, and then to twenty-five. Vegetation became 
sparser ; while both east and west the barren sand-hills, 
rising up like mountain-ridges, approached quite near to 
the desiccated river-bed. 
Immediately after we quitted the river-bed, we saw on 
our left a herd of six wild camels quietly grazing and 
resting — a big male, two young ones, and three females. 
Strange to say, they allowed us to approach within two 
hundred yards, so that I was in a position to get a good 
look at them, and observe all their movements, particularly 
as the sun was high and the atmosphere clear. The big 
male camel was lying down quietly beside a poplar, and 
the others stood and gazed at us with fixed attention and 
wonderment, but without showing any inclination to flight. 
As we were travelling at a slow rate, Islam Bai was 
enabled to creep round them to within fifty paces. But 
the animals soon perceived there was danger in the air. 
The big male got up, and the herd moved slowly off 
towards the north-west, thus crossing our route and 
passing the tamarisk behind which Islam was lying in 
ambush. Islam fired, and the male camel, after going three 
paces, fell ; when we came up with him a few minutes later 
he was quite dead. The ball had entered the neck, making 
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