THE RED SEA HILLS 
371 
The incident formed one more pretty instance of animal- 
sympathy, several of which are elsewhere recorded in this 
book. The free ariel had been “standing-by ” their 
companion in distress, and a side-wind of sympathy had 
somehow spread at second-hand to the quartette of 
Isabellas. The latter, from their position, could not 
themselves have sighted the prostrate ariel, since it lay 
deep down in the glen, below their line of vision. But 
some subtle bond of electric telepathy arrested their feet. 
We carried the little “Isabella” down to the spot 
where the ariel lay, and were already busy off-skinning 
the game when we perceived two natives, with a dog, 
watching us from a ridge beyond. Thinking they might 
probably be the legitimate owners of the snared ariel, we 
hailed them to come down. No sort of notice did they 
take. We therefore sent one of our men to bring them 
in. They were Hadendowas, one of them grizzly with 
age. I have before expressed my opinion of these surly 
savages, and this interview confirmed it. Had these two 
read and marked my most caustic notes on the subject, 
they could not, by their demeanour, have better corrob¬ 
orated their cogency. Not a sign of recognition or friend¬ 
liness did the loutish pair evince; not even of gratitude 
when we gave them the meat of both antelopes. 
Admittedly by every principle of right—as we under¬ 
stand such—they were entitled to the ariel. But not 
even elementary sentiments of justice reign in these 
regions where might is right and possession the only title. 
By chance we had happened first on their captured 
prey : that we should surrender it to its lawful captors 
was an idea that never penetrated their skulls. These 
Hadendowas, in fact, never even expected the return of 
their snare! Once, for half a second, I thought the eyes 
of the older savage sparkled at the prospect of “meat”; 
if so, it was the most transient glimmer, and quite un¬ 
certain at that. Not a gesture of gratitude escaped them, 
and personally I left them to their butchering with the 
