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[Page 53]
Turks do not travel very often at night but when they do they always sing as it is supposed to keep away evil spirits). So we decided to hide in the bushes until this person passed. We did not have long to wait for a Turk rode by on a horse. When he had got well clear we came out to the well and lowered our water bottles down on a string. The water was quite good and we had a good fill up. We had been without water since the morning and it was terribly hot. After half an hours rest we moved off again. The travelling was terribly difficult. When we got to the top of the next hill about 2 a.m. we felt so absolutely done up, we lay down to sleep. When day broke we found ourselves on the top of a hill very much like the one of the previous day and we could still see the old castle so we could see that we had really made very little progress in a direct line. We spent the day in the shade sleeping as best we could. About sunset we moved off again. It is not such bad travelling as the previous night Before we got to the bottom of the hill we passed very close to an old Turk Farmer. He did not take the slightest notice of us. After about two miles travel we came to an old well a welcome sight on examination we could see just a little water in the bottom. We lowered our water bottle down. On examining the water it was found to be very dirty and full of white maggots, so we decided to fill our bottles up and keep it in case we should not find any more. After we left the well we came on to a track. We decided to follow this track and chance meeting anybody. After we had travelled a mile or two the track turned off our course so we had to leave it. After this we had some very rough travelling through thick prickly bush. After midnight we came onto a clear patch of ground just up from a valley. Just as we got out of the bush two dogs rushed at us making a great noise and about 100 yards away we could see a black tent. We knew this to be a shepherds tent so we got back into the bushes as soon as poissible. We lay there very quiet for about half an hour. During this time we heard cattle making a noise down in the valley just below us so we knew there must be water somewhere near. After picking our way very cautiously we got down into the valley and there we found a small spring. We immediately threw away the bad water we got from the well. After half an hour's rest we moved off again, following a narrow track. Shortly after this we came out on to more open country. At one place we came onto a small patch of clear ground. Two jackals jumped up just in front of us and ran away and just on our right we were alarmed to hear a fierve growling. On looking in the direction we could make out a large black object about 50 yards away and close to the bushes making its way slowly along in one oppositetion direction to which we were going (it was about a half moon but very cloudy) we were carrying a large stick each so we kept our eyes on this animal till we got well clear and then made off as fast as we could. Judging by its size we said