Monday, May 7. Cloudy all day. Strong northeast wind, which drops in afternoon. Highest temperature 38°. When traveling at night cannot take minimum temperature, which occurs about 2 or 3, as we are on the move at that time. Start at 6:30 P.M., halt at 11:30 P.M. Make 20 kilometers. Very soft sand, undulating, with dry sabat for grazing.
In the afternoon a Tebu arrived with a camel loaded with the luggage that had been on the runaway. He told us that Malkenni’s camel had thrown off its load and run back to the grazing ground at Ouenat, with Malkenni after him. At 11:30 we halted on very soft sand with patches of rock about and grazing ground near Garet Shezzu, to wait for the runaways. They appeared shortly after our arrival; but I decided not to go farther that night. The rest would do us all good.
Tuesday, May 8. We started at 4:45 P.M. in an oppressive atmosphere under heavy clouds. Two hours later it rained a little, and the Bedouins, whose life depends on rain, instinctively shouted with joy and sang fervently to the camels.
EXPLORER’S CAMP AT UM BURU
The ground was undulating, hard, and covered with stones and large gravel. We crossed some small gherds soon after starting, and then the country flattened out again, with softer sand. At 3:30 A.M. we entered a belt of high sand-dunes and crossed it in an hour and a half. After the dunes the ground became the old familiar serira again. Here I found bits of ostrich-shells.
Early in the day Arami, Malkenni’s brother, had taken a sack and gone to collect hatab. His name tells his story, for among the Tebus and Goran a man who has killed another is known frankly as Arami. He had said that he would meet us later on. We had no anxiety about him, especially as we were told that he knew the way well.
But when we had been two hours on the road and it was growing dark we became anxious and halted to wait for him. We fired many shots to attract his attention and direct him to where we were. The men shouted his name as loud as they could, but all in vain. I turned to Malkenni and asked him what he intended to do.
“My brother is mad,” he said. “No one asked him to collect hatab. He left the camp without even having his breakfast. It may be that he has been called by God to his death. When the moon rises I shall leave my camel’s load and return to look for him. If he is alive I shall bring him back with me; if he is dead I shall bury him and join you later.”
It was said quite simply and as though it were all a matter of course. The load was shifted from Malkenni’s camel to another, and he set out on the back track. Arami had already had many narrow escapes from death, and every one hoped that it might be so this time. But Mohammed was doubtful.