ake one of
these in one hand, and one in the other," he asked of me. "Now throw one
towards the east and one towards the west."

I having for curiosity's sake complied with his request, he gravely
examined the discarded stones.

"Yes, Sahib, your compass speaks truth! Allah says yours is the right
road!"

On requesting an explanation of this novel method of locating positions,
Sadek looked very solemn, and with a pause, as if he were about to pour
forth words of great wisdom, and disregarding altogether the fact that my
efforts solely and simply were responsible for discovering the track,
"You see, my master," he said, "one stone I called _good road_, the other
I called _no road_. Whichever stone you throw first is Allah's wish.
Allah is more right than compass."

At any rate the method was simple enough, and it fortunately happened
that Allah and my compass seemed in agreement on that occasion; so
adding these circumstances to the more substantial fact that we could see
the track plainly before us, we gaily descended from our lofty pinnacle,
and with renewed vigour climbed the lower and last hill range, the last
obstacle before us.

In the trough between the two ranges, however, the fine sand was
extremely nasty, almost as bad as quicksand, and we had some trouble in
extricating ourselves. We sank into it almost up to the waist. We then
crossed the broad plain in a diagonal for nearly four miles, and at last,
after some seven hours of anxiety, not to speak of hunger and thirst, we
struck the road again.

Sadek, who, notwithstanding Allah's patent method, my compass bearings,
and our combined eyesight, was not at all certain in his own heart that
we should find the road that day, was so overcome with joy when he
actually recognised my camel's footprints upon the sand, where not
obliterated by the wind, that he collapsed upon the ground from fatigue
and strain, and slept snoring sonorously for nearly two hours.

As luck would have it, a Beluch horseman travelling towards Mushki-Chah
had overtaken my camels, and much to Mahommed's astonishment, informed
him that he had not seen the Sahib on the road, so Mahommed, fearing that
something had happened, had the sense to turn back with two camels to try
and find us. We were very glad of a lift when he arrived, and even more
glad to partake of a hearty lunch, and a long, long drink of water, which
although brackish tasted quite delicious, from one of the skins.

The t