62 THE EMPTY QUARTER

studying the limestone strata from which they emanated,
mapping and planning and the like. 'Ali and Ibn Ma'addi
joined in the game with a good will, and we started a hare to
see it streak up the steep hillside to safety. At length we too
descended into the valley and marched towards our camp in
the oasis. Of what use are those shells ? asked JAli who had
been quick to recognise their marine origin, and what will you
do with them ? Noah's flood provided an easily intelligible
explanation of the presence of sea-shells so far inland. Yes,
by God ! he exclaimed, that is true, for all the earth was
covered by the waters and these things remained behind
when they receded. By God ! it is true indeed. The shells
are of no use, I went on, but it is knowledge I seek which is
better than wealth. I will take them to my country, where
they will put them in treasure-houses1 for people to see and
study. You see, I too am a tracker like you. When you ride
you read the sands and know what men and women have
passed upon them a month ago or more or less. But when I
see shells like these I understand what was happening a
thousand years ago or more—it was idle of course to talk of
millions—back to the world's creation. You see at once the
tracks of animals and know that a fox or hyena has passed
yesterday or before, but I see the tiniest insects as I ride over
gravel or sand, which you cannot distinguish even when I
point them out. Your eye is trained in one way, mine in
another; and you are not interested in the things that
interest me. On several occasions already I had indeed had
an amused and astonished ring of spectators, as I reined
back suddenly at sight of a little Mantid in the gravel. With
eyes glued on the motionless creature I had couched my
camel and dismounted to stalk the quarry while they
stood by open-mouthed with amazement at my apparent
insanity, seeing nothing themselves until I showed them the
minute captive in its glass-bottomed pillbox prison. But
gradually they too learned to use their eyes, bringing me
beetles and lizards and other things.

So we came to camp at Anbak late in the afternoon and
they all rejoiced to hear of successful hunting in the sun while

1 Mithaf, the ordinary word for Museum.