Page:On the Desert - Recent Events in Egypt.djvu/264

250 the strangers were friends or foes. We endeavored to conceal our presence as well as we could, camping in a little hollow between two ridges of the undulating country. As soon as dinner was served, the fires were put out, so as not to attract the notice of spies or of strolling parties, and then the men turned their attention to making all fast for the night. The dragoman sought to quiet our apprehension by saying that the Bedaween would not be likely to attack so large a party, and in any event would not be so eager to rob us as to rob our Arabs: for that they would covet the camels more than our worldly goods. But that was a very poor way of reassuring us: for we could much better afford to lose our money or our watches than our beasts of burden, which furnished our only means of getting through the country. To lose them would be a terrible blow, as it would leave us on the border of the desert, without any power of locomotion. So the camels were to be guarded as our very life. The men understood the matter perfectly, and did not mean to leave anything exposed. Accordingly, although the camels were turned loose to crop the scanty herbage for an hour, while the men were getting their supper, instead of being left out as usual for the night, they were all brought into camp, and stretching themselves on the ground, had their legs firmly bound so that they could not move, unless an Arab were to steal up in the darkness like an Indian, and cut the ropes, and "stampede" them before an alarm could be given, and the men rallied for defence. To guard against such a surprise, the men divided themselves into two parties, which should relieve each other through the night. This done, the dragoman assumed a protecting and patronizing tone: "Never you fear; we are used to this sort of thing, and will keep watch. You go to bed and sleep quietly." We did go to bed, and slept off and