282 THE EMPTY QUARTER

curious Arab weakness for vaunting an obsequious desire to
please. Another national characteristic, somewhat akin to
this, is the constant anxiety to be the announcer of good or
pleasing news—in the hope of reward. It is less objection-
able, of course, and has an intelligible basis of origin, but it
has a tendency in Arabia to discourage the purveying of true
news which is more important and to encourage exaggeration
or even suppression of material facts. But the East in general
has no squeamishness about working for rewards. What else
indeed should one work for ? The philosophy of Arabia is
definitely materialistic both in its metaphysics and its ethics.
Two and a half hours later, after passing across a valley
with considerable profusion of Hadh and Alqa, we re-entered
KMllat Adraj, and I realised that practically ever since leav-
ing camp in the morning we had roughly been following (now
on this side and now on that) the line of demarcation between
the tracts of Hadh *Ain Sala. and Khillat Adraj. Good news
for you, of fat, shouted Salih riding up to us from the rear
where he had been lagging behind with 'AH Jahman. I
thought they might have caught a hare lying asleep in a bush,
for we had heard no shot, but it was nothing as commonplace
as that. >Ali's camel had shown signs of premature confine-
ment under the strain of such marching, and the interesting
event was expected at any moment. It was, to say the least,
inconsiderate of the beast to choose a time when every
minute counted towards salvation. A halt was called in the
interests of the expectant mother and Salih gathered sticks
for a fire in exultant expectation of the meat which would
soon be cooking in its ashes. I went off in search of insects
while Zayid composed himself to sleep under a bush and 'All
and Humaid girt up their loins for the midwifery. The camel
gazed about her miserably as if not quite knowing what was
wrong, The midwives made several fruitless attempts to
hasten the delivery, but each time the half-protruding head ;
withdrew into the womb. The mother alternately stood or
lay on her side in apparent pain until at last *Ali secured a
good purchase on the head as it looked out pathetically on the i
strange world of sun and sand. He then began to pull amain |
and the recumbent mother lashed out viciously at each