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[Page 52]
to cross a road just behind the camp. However we got over without being seen and after climbing a steep rocky hill we sat down and had a good rest, wet through with perspiration After half an hours rest we moved off again and after going a mile I discovered that I had left an acyteline lamp behind where we had rested. We had this lamp made so that we would be able to signal from the coast it was useless going back to look for it as the country was so rough so after much swearing we moved off again. The country here was very rough so we had to keep resting about. midnight we came to a deep gully. We were climbing down to cross my friend was leading the way, about three yards ahead of me, when I set a large stone rolling down on top of him. I struck him on the foot and of course the result much more bad language. However we managed to climb down without further mishaps but we had the worst to come for when we started to climb we had practically a sheer precipice in front of us. However after hanging on by our toes and finger tips we managed to reach t the top without mishap: then we had half an hours rest. Then we moved off and had another hours travelling. We were feeling so absolutely done up, that we lay down to sleep with the jackals howling all around us, but this did not keep us awake. This It was 3 a.m. When we woke in the morning we found ourselves on a high mountain. There was a small village not far away and in the distance we could see a hill with an old Arab castle on the top. After having a good look round we got in the shade of some rocks and lay down to sleep the day away. About sunset we got under way again and made our way to the other side of the mountain which we were on this overlooked a flat piece of ground but there were shepherds there with a herd of cattle. They had started to light fires so we could not get down that way so we made our way further round and commenced to climb down. Here we soon got into difficulties for it was terribly steep and we did not have a drop of water. When we got half way down we came to a small tree growing up the side so we decided to climb down this. All went well till my friend slipped and fell about fifteen feet. I got down as qickly as possible expecting to find some bones broken but he was none the worse excepting that he had broken his pack open and lost a loaf of bread and some tobacco. There was a snake hissing at us so we decided to get away without delay, minus the bread.
After many difficulties we got to the bottom to find ourselves in the rocky bed of a creek so of course the first thing we looked for was water. We followed the dry water course for some distance when to our great delight we came to an old well. on examination we found there was just a little water in the bottom. Before we had time to get any water we heard somebody coming in the distance singing. The