128 2HE WOUNDED MAHOMET IN CAMP.

wounded by a spear in four places, — in two places in the back, one in the arm, and this fearful wound in the abdomen. In this state he had crawled eight miles, from where the attack took place, to our camp. His first words were to ask if Lort Phillips and Aylmer were safe. He told us that we had passed within a few yards of him the previous night ; and that, although he plainly saw us, he was too weak to call out for help ; he had been lying under a bush at the time, quite close to the camp, unable to proceed farther. The night had been very cold, the thermometer having gone down to 43 Fahrenheit ; and his suffering from cold and thirst, added to the fear of being attacked by some wild beast (hyaenas especially being very numerous there), must have been something terrible.

We got an angareb, and carried him into camp. The doctor did what he could for him, but from the first the case was hopeless. We wanted to give him a little brandy, which he refused to take, it being against his religion. However, we put some in his beef-tea, so that he took it without knowing it. The doctor declared it would make him no worse to carry him on the aitgareb ; -so we gave orders to strike the camp, and return to our last halting-place, with which order our camel-drivers and servants were delighted.

The only member of our party who did not seem in the least excited by what had occurred was old Ali the cook. Nothing ever ruflfled ///;;/. He was busy with his saucepans when the news of what had happened was first brought into the camp ; and, amongst all the din and clatter raised by our numerous camp-servants, he continued calmly and quietly to proceed with his cooking.

We were beginning to have some misgivings with regard to the Base. Between two and three hundred had attached themselves to us. We felt we could not trust much to Sheik