THE WATERLESS WASTE 301

In the darkness we had laboured somewhat in negotiating
the lofty Sawahib ridges, but a moderate northerly breeze
with some slight drizzling rain had kept us cool enough and
we marched bareheaded, Nevertheless we arrived in camp
tired and hungry. Abu Ja'sha earned our gratitude by pro-
ducing a substantial dish of rice, cleverly saved from the
residue of our last dinner, out of the depths of his saddle-bags;
and we set to with some of the raw dried meat, hastily cooked
in the ashes and resembling leather, added to the rice. The
milch-camels, after their days at pasture, also contributed
abundantly to our comfort, and of course there was coffee to
round off the proceedings before we composed ourselves for
sleep. We had made a propitious start and all seemed well
enough.

When we woke about dawn—having of course slept in the
open as the tents had gone back with the other party—there
was an appreciable dew upon the ground, as there had been
also at Naifa the previous morning. A cool north breeze
blew gently but steadily over the desert, while light clouds
covered most of the sky with tufts of orange wool. We were
glad of the movement necessitated by our preparations for a
start to work off the chill of night, and we dawdled a moment
over the fire to drink our drops of coffee. At 6.30 we were in
the saddle clinging to the southern skirt of the sand-ridge
until we came to a low col that enabled us to cross it and
resume our general WNW. direction.

There was plentiful vegetation1 in these parts for the camels
to crop as they marched, and our progress in consequence
was miserably slow, but I said no word. My mount was
Na'riya, the heroine of the confinement in the desert, the
best of all our beasts, strong and fast though a little rough,
withal. JAli Jahman had been loth to part with her, but our
need had been great enough to override all sentiment aad
personal preferences. Two months ago she had been con-
sidered too obstreperous for my inexperienced haads to hold,
but the long march had toned her down aad she was a delight
to ride, though I had to have my wits about me when mouat-

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aoutjMjru s*mt& oxoep* JSo&r,