Nor did we exchange many further confidences with Harut and Marut.  Up to the time of our arrival at the boundaries of the Kendah country, our only talk with them was of the incidents of travel, of where we should camp, of how far it might be to the next water, for water-holes or old wells existed in this desert, of such birds as we saw, and so forth.  As to other and more important matters a kind of truce seemed to prevail.  Still, I observed that they were always studying us, and especially Lord Ragnall, who rode on day after day, self-absorbed and staring straight in front of him as though he looked at something we could not see.

Thus we covered hundreds of miles, not less than five hundred at the least, reckoning our progress at only thirty miles a day, including stoppages.  For occasionally we stopped at the water-holes or small oases, where the camels drank and rested.  Indeed, these were so conveniently arranged that I came to the conclusion that once there must have been some established route running across these wastelands to the south, of which the traditional knowledge remained with the Kendah people.  If so, it had not been used for generations, for save those of one or two that had died on the outward march, we saw no skeletons of camels or other beasts, or indeed any sign of man.  The place was an absolute wilderness where nothing lived except a few small mammals at the oases and the birds that passed over it in the air on their way to more fertile regions.  Of these, by the way, I saw many that are known both to Europe and Africa, especially ducks and cranes; also storks that, for aught I can say, may have come from far-off, homely Holland.

At last the character of the country began to change.  Grass appeared on its lower-lying stretches, then bushes, then occasional trees and among the trees a few buck.  Halting the caravan I crept out and shot two of these buck with a right and left, a feat that caused our grave escort to stare in a fashion which showed me that they had never seen anything of the sort done before.

That night, while we were eating the venison with relish, since it was the first fresh meat that we had tasted for many a day, I observed that the disposition of our camp was different from its common form.  Thus it was smaller and placed on an eminence.  Also the camels were not allowed to graze where they would as usual, but were kept within a limited area while their riders were arranged in groups outside of them.  Further, the stores were piled near our tents, in the centre, with guards set over them.  I asked Harut and Marut, who were sharing our meal, the reason of these alterations.

“It is because we are on the borders of the Kendah country,” answered old Harut.  “Four days’ more march will bring us there, Macumazana.”

“Then why should you take precautions against your own people?  Surely they will welcome you.”