ith the Sheikh respecting the extent of their
_impedimenta_ and the number of camels required, for others had to bear
the gear of two tents, including several handsome rugs, and one way and
another, with those devoted to riding, there were fifteen of the beasts
of burden, while the party was increased to twelve by sturdy young men
of the Sheikh's tribe.

"His Excellency the Hakim thinks the caravan too big?" said the Sheikh,
smiling. "Oh, no. It ought to be larger. So great and wise a man must
have a good following, or the people will think he is of no importance.
The train is very small, but the tents are good and the camels the best
we have in the tribe."

"And suppose we are attacked by some wandering tribe or a party of the
new Mahdi's ruffianly followers. They may strip us and carry off the
camels; what then?"

The Sheikh smiled and shook his head.

"No," he said; "they may come, but they will not rob us. There were
plagues in Egypt once, and there are plagues in Egypt still. The wilder
the people we meet, the less likely they will be to interfere with a
learned Hakim. They will come to him for help. They know that he can
take away disease, and they will think he can give disease amongst them
like a curse. I know what the people fancy, and what they will do. No,
the caravan is not too large, Excellencies. I should have liked it to
be larger, for there are many things that would have been useful when we
are far away where food and water are scarce; but there are the camels
to feed, and the more we are the slower we travel. Like this we can go
fast."

"Fast?" said the professor, with a dry look; and the Sheikh smiled.

"Fast for the desert, Excellency," he said. "No one expects to travel
here faster than a camel walks when left to itself."

So at daybreak on that morning the last camel was laden, the last
necessary attached, and amidst the farewell cries of the tribe assembled
to bless and thank and pray for a safe journey to all, the leading
camels started off, moaning and complaining, and apparently directing
angry cries at those of their kin more fortunate than themselves who,
instead of having to tramp over the burning, shifting sand, beneath the
scorching desert sun, were to stop and browse around those pleasant
water-holes, and tend their young, watched over by the women and
children of the tribe the while.

The moaning and grumbling went on for some time, as the long line of
ungainly bea