270 WITH THE CAMEL CORPS UP THE NILE.

know. They were real curs, most of them, and would yowl with fright if you raised a stick at them.

One noble exception there was, who was run to a standstill miles out in the desert ; he couldn't bolt any more, so he dashed at the legs of his solitary pursuer's pony. The sportsman hurled his stick at him and of course missed, so he generously turned his pony homewards and left the dog victorious, to get home that night if he could.

As regards shooting at Dongola, that was a delusion. Our most enthusiastic sportsman, D -, used to go out mysteriously at all hours of the day, and sometimes night, with a gun, his faithful servant behind him carrying his pea-rifle. He was generally late for dinner in consequence, and nine days out of ten his answer to our inquiries as to what he had shot was a cheerful " nothing." If he did bring anything back, it was usually only a few cockyollybirds, such as red-breasted sparrows, green bee-eaters, and such like. These he skinned and kept. One day, however, he returned in great glee, dragging after him a big grey pelican he had shot with a rifle. The stench emanating from his hut for the