IN THE DESERT. THE FIRST TAMARISK.
From a sketch by Dr. Hedin.
when I reached the forest I could not find my track. I shouted 'Kasim! Kasim! Kasim!' but he did not answer, and I thought he was dead. Then I made a fire in the forest—for fear of tigers—a huge fire, a splendid illumination, lighting up the mysterious darknesses of this primeval forest. It gave me very great pleasure to see this fire. At sunrise I searched for Kasim and found him. I called him. He lifted his head a little. 'Water!' I cried. He shook his head. 'I want to die.' I shook the boots near his head so that the water splashed. Then he rose like a wild beast, and flung himself on the water vessels and drained them one after another to the last drop. Then he fell back and would not move, though I asked him to come with me to the pool and bathe. So I left him and went on. I took a bath, and then made for the south, down the river-bed.
"I walked on for three days, and did not see a living soul all the time, and lived on grass and leaves, and tadpoles when I could catch them. On the fourth day I fell in with some shepherds with great flocks. They had never seen a European before. They were very frightened at my appearance, especially at my black spectacles, and they fled to the forest. I called to them in their own language. Then they came out and asked me what I wanted. They were good to me and gave me some milk and bread. I stopped some days with them, and heard from two merchants who arrived that at two days' ride from there they had seen a man and a white
IN THE DESERT. A SAND-STORM.
From a sketch by Dr. Hedin.
