282 WITH THE CAMEL CORPS UP THE NILE.

returned home, intending to come another time. It so happened that a strong wind blew for the next three days, and when we returned to the place nothing was visible but the broken pillar tops as before all our labour was buried in the sand- drift ! As we had no guarantee that the wind wouldn't do it again, we didn't try again, and left the sands their secret. The only other things near the place were dozens of little green copper gods and goddesses strewn about ; it must have been a god-foundry in its day, for in some places there were hundreds of broken crucibles and pieces of pottery, and bronze rings, and things green with age. I also picked up a transparent lizard with big eyes (alive), and what rather astonished me was that he fell off his tail, leaving it curling and wriggling in my hand. I tried to join him and his tail again, but some sand had got in between and it wouldn't stick, so I left him looking forlornly at it.

The i Qth Hussars used to have every week a Friday afternoon " at home," where all sorts of sports were indulged in. Tent-pegging, melon-cutting, barebacked races, musical rides (without the music), hurdle-