226 THE EMPTY QUARTER

precaution calculated to warn off all but those who might be
strong enough and willing to provoke the King's wrath. As
Jabir ibn Fasl had told us at Jabrin there were none such in
the desert at this time. The southern tribes, receiving news
of our expedition from Saif ibn Tannaf the Manhali Shaikh
who had hurriedly departed from the Hasa only a few days
before us on the rejection of his gifts and overtures by Ibn
Jiluwi, had retired to the southern mountains, while such
Hurra elements as had remained in the south with the Rashid
relatives-in-law of Hamad ibn Sultan ibn -Hadi—Bertram
Thomas' guide of the previous year and a near cousin of JAli
Jahman—similarly preferred to keep at a safe distance from
our path lest our purpose might be to collect the taxes which
for the moment they were not bothering to pay into the
King's treasury. So the desert was empty and our scouts,
preceding us by about half an hour, were able to signale all
clear' as we approached the well from behind the dune-
range skirting the northern edge of the valley-like depression
in which it lay. Not only was there no one on the scene, but
no one had visited the place since the departure of Zayid and
'All some six days earlier.

At the foot of the sand-slope leading down to the hollow we
passed by the grave of some desert notable slain in a tribal
skirmish during the last year or two. Its oval outline was
decked out with blocks of gypsum from the 40 feet cliffs of
the exposed bed-rock extending in two sections, separated by
a considerable gap, across the Shanna depression. In the
lowest part of the hollow lay the well, and at some distance
further to the south-west a small rock-marked semi-circle,
oriented exactly towards the north-west, indicated the direc-
tion of Mecca and the position of the place set apart for the
prayers of the faithful. Here and there a desert bush of
Abal or HadJi dotted the scene. Our tents were pitched forth-
with, the camels watered and driven forth to the pastures of
the valley under the care of *Ali al Buhaihi and the lad
Muhammad. A fire was soon alight for the making of coffee.
Zaid and his lieutenant got to work with their preparations
for dinner and others sped off, rifle in hand, to the surround-
ing sand-peaks to keep the customary vigil against possible