142 WITH THE CAMEL CORPS UP THE NILE, their property too, including a fine pair of those infernal tom-toms, thrown away down a cleft. There was plenty of evidence about in the shape of pottery and old fires, to show that a considerable number of the enemy had been here for some time. Later on, an entire village of tumble-down straw shanties was discovered a little way back, bestrewn with utensils of all sorts, sufficient to prove that thousands of Arabs must have been encamped there for a fortnight, and yet our spies had reported the road quite clear to the river !

At about seven o'clock the baggage was reported in the distance, and, to our happiness, it arrived shortly afterwards ; at last we should have something to eat.

The camels were quickly knee-lashed and unloaded, and, after gathering as much grass as they could for the poor beasts, the men set to in earnest to prepare their dinners off the few cattle that had been caught. It seems that the baggage- zeriba had not been attacked at all, the advance of the square having drawn all the Arabs out of the hills after it. Right glad were those left behind to see us again. Their suspense when