* THE VERITABLE DESERT' 263

embers of the coffee fire. The coffee cups were passing
round.

"Abdul Rahman, the coffee-man, scion of the dour clans
of Dhruma and usually too absorbed in his coffee-making to
take much part in the general conversation, looked up with
a snarl and jerked out some offensive remark about my lack
of consideration for others, I rounded on the assembled
company and chid them. I came over to your tent, I said,
to discuss the situation with you that we may make plans for
the future. I did not come to hear expressions of your ill-
temper, and it astonishes me that you should all sit by and
let such a remark as that be made in your presence with im-
punity. I, at any rate, will not stand that from any of you.
With that I tossed my untasted cup on the sand and rose to
leave the tent. Ibn Ma'addi, doubtless remembering the
Sa'dan incident at Adraj, interposed with an olive branch.
If you wish it, he said, we will give 'Abdul Rahman a beating
for his insolence. No. I replied as I walked away, I do not
wish it; I have forgiven him. But if any of you wish to
discuss matters with me, he must come to my tent. I come
no more to yours. At such a crisis it was obviously unde-
sirable to make enemies gratuitously, while I also reflected
that 'Abdul Rahman had probably had a gruelling day of it
with the breakdown of the camels. He was perhaps also
contemplating death from thirst as a very real possibility.
High words and ill-temper were inevitable in such circum-
stances, and I was full of sympathy for the unfortunate
wretches though by no means disposed to yield to their
clamour for an ignominious retreat. So I left them to their
talking, and fragments of their wild conversation floated
over to my ears as I settled down to plot out our whole
march from Shanna to this point. I had had no time to do
such work during the past five days and it was imperative thai
I should know roughly without delay our actual position ia
the great waterless desert, Sa'dan brought me my eturto-
mary pot of tea and the gossip of the enemy camp, whence
emissaries caine from time to tame to restu&e rtegotiatioiis
with me about our future movements. By sunset I bad
finished my task and, as soon as it was dark enough! I made