“The gray-haired man is walking, O bey,” said the shrewd fellow quickly. “His track is on the ground.”
Once more I was impressed with the keen observation of the Bedouins, especially the camelman. Hamid had already learned the characteristic footprints that each man of the caravan leaves. Of course he knew the track of each camel also.
On Wednesday we were up much earlier than usual in our anxiety to reach the well of Enebah. The water of Agah was the worst we had yet tasted, and it was having its effect on both men and camels. A three hours’ trek brought us to the edge of the valley in which the well lay. We dropped down into it and discovered from tracks of sheep, donkeys, and men that the place was inhabited. Mohammed went forward to meet the men who live there, and gave and received the aman; and soon we were camped by the well. The water was excellent; animals and men both enjoyed the change.
There was quite a large Bidiyat camp here, with hundreds of sheep and a few horses for the sheikhs. Presently the whole population, led by the sheikhs, came to greet us. I shook hands with them and distributed scent, putting a little on the hand of each one.
In the afternoon they brought sheep as diafa, and the women (who have a keen business sense) produced samn—butter—and leather to sell to us. We gave them Medjidies and cloth in exchange. In the evening I took observations. The Bidiyats were frightened at the theodolite and the electric torch, and their suspicions were aroused.
One of the sheikhs entered my tent and caught me opening the instrument-case. I shut the case quickly and instantly realized my mistake. I could see in his dark cruel face, with yellow eyes like those of a fox set close together, that he believed I had gold in the box. As he left my tent I ostentatiously ordered Senussi Bu Hassan and Hamid to stand as sentries in the camp. I pointed to them and told the sheikh not to allow the women and children to approach the camp at night lest my men might make a mistake and shoot at them. It was just a hint that we were wide-awake and that there was no hope of catching us off our guard. I could see that the hint went home.
CHAPTER XX
TO FURAWIA ON SHORT RATIONS
THE valley of Enebah was covered with soft sand, dotted with shrubs both green and dry and with trees.