236 
SOMALILAND 
selves began to drop by the wayside, with their heads 
between their knees, determined not to go on, and preferring 
to die where they sat. I was obliged to kick them up, 
and set them going again, coughing and spitting blood 
as they w^ent ! The silence was only broken by the cough- 
ing and an occasional crash, as another camel fell by the 
way.. 
I knew we could not last much longer, and the wells 
might be three days away. I felt myself collapsing. My 
throat felt as if it would burst. It was, I think, as though 
I had poured a stream of scalding spirit down it. My 
vision was blurred and hazil}^ red, so that I could no longer 
tell a man from a tree, and could not walk alone. I had 
to be held up on each side by a giant Somali. Still the 
sun blazed down with choking, killing heat. Everywhere, 
as far as I could see, stretched the dreary expanse of rock 
and scrub, for the ground had become more open, with 
never a tree, and scarcely a green thing. I knew if I fell 
I should never rise again, and yet the temptation to give 
way became stronger and stronger, until at last I was on 
the very verge of unconsciousness. I spat a great deal of 
blood, and whenever I tried to gulp or swallow I suffered 
the greatest agony in my throat. 
I roused myself for a last effort. Calling to me a 
couple of the strongest and most reliable men, I whispered 
to them to go forward before us along the track to see if 
they could find water or see any human beings who could 
help us in our last extremities. These men shot on ahead, 
and we, too, kept going. After their departure, I noticed 
a dove fly past. I welcomed that bird as Noah must have 
welcomed the dove which returned with the leaf to the 
ark. Shortly after I noticed a great excitement among 
the men. I was nearly unconscious, and could see nothing. 
They told me that my scouts were running back towards 
us. Long before we could make out their expressions we 
shouted, ‘Bier? Bier?’ (Water? Water?); and the answer 
came back, ‘ Wa badunti !’ (Plenty !). 
