. Explorations and adventures in the wilds of Africa; . ter-skin, and a host of other appurtenances, lay around me in all direo*tions; worst of all, my beautiful gold repeater lay at some distance fromme, rendered entirely useless. I was as nearly naked as I could be; afew rags held together, but my shirt was gone, with the exception ofsome shreds that adhered to my arms. I was, of course, streaming v/itb THE FAMOUS VALLEY OF THE NILE. 43 blood, tind looked much more as though I had been clawed by a leopardthan as having simply charged a bush. The camel had fallen down withthe shock, after I h
. Explorations and adventures in the wilds of Africa; . ter-skin, and a host of other appurtenances, lay around me in all direo*tions; worst of all, my beautiful gold repeater lay at some distance fromme, rendered entirely useless. I was as nearly naked as I could be; afew rags held together, but my shirt was gone, with the exception ofsome shreds that adhered to my arms. I was, of course, streaming v/itb THE FAMOUS VALLEY OF THE NILE. 43 blood, tind looked much more as though I had been clawed by a leopardthan as having simply charged a bush. The camel had fallen down withthe shock, after I had been swept off by the thorny branches. To thisJay I have the marks of the scratching. Unless a riding-camel is perfectly trained, it is the most tiresomeanimal to ride, after the first green leaves appear; every bush tempts itfrom the path, and it is a perpetual fight between the rider and his beastthroughout the journey. The Arab soldier who mounts his beast anddarts away over the desert of sand does not encounter the obstacles thatbeset our VENOMOUS SCORPION. We shortly halted for the night, as I had noticed unmistakabk sign?of an approaching storm. We quickly pitched the tents, grubbed up theroot and stem of a decayed mimosa, and lighted a fire, by the side oiwhich our people sat in a circle. Hardly had the pile begun to blaze,when a cry from Mahomets new relative, Achmet, informed us that hehad been bitten by a scorpion. Mahomet appeared to think this highlyentertaining, until suddenly he screamed out likewise, and springingfrom the ground, he began to stamp and wring his hands in great agony;he had himself been bitten, and we found that a whole nest of scorpions 44 WONDERS OF THE TROPICS. were in the rotten wood lately thrown upon the fire: in their flight fromthe heat they stung all whom they met. There was no time to prepare food; the thunder already roared aboveas, and in a few minutes the sky, lately so clear, was as black as ink. Iihtad already prepared for
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