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By now the railway had caught us up again, and almost daily long supply trains come in from Kantara with loads of rations and forage. Also the Egyptian Labour Corps arrived in hundreds and once more made the day hideous with their mournful dirge. But if this eternal chant made one yearn to throw something large and heavy at the performers, their work compelled profound admiration.
Their pathway led through a champaign country, partially wooded; and after a pleasant ride of three quarters of an hour, they entered the small village of Bidjie. Here their carriers dropped their loads, nor could they be induced to resume them by the most pressing solicitations.
She knows that as the men were carrying their last loads to the hiding place, wherever that might be, Long Robin lay in wait and slew them one by one, taking them unawares and plunging his knife into the neck of each, so that they fell with never a cry.
The loads were deposited by the side of the trail, and the delinquents, with every appearance of confidence, led the way back another hour's march to a veritable fork. Kingozi examined the earth for tracks. "Could you not see that the safari had gone this way and not that way?" he asked. "Yes, bwana," they said together; "we saw it after a little. That is why we came back."
In Latitude 80 degrees we found an extraordinary change in the surface: so soft in fact that we found ourselves sinking in from 8 to 10 inches this gave us a very hard day on 13th November when, with load averaging over 190 lb. per man, we hauled through it for 12 miles. Fears were expressed for the ponies at this stretch, for here they would be pulling full loads.
I have a friend who will be along sometime tomorrow with a couple of light tents and a couple of burro loads of provisions." "Then you're going to camp in the mountains, I take it?" "Yes," was the reply. "We're going farther in and take a rest and look for a good sheep valley while we do so." "You're welcome to remain here until your friend comes in!" answered Will. "We have plenty of provisions."
"We'll fit you up a corking laboratory," began Austin cordially; "there is " "You're very good; perhaps you'll all be civil enough to move out of the house if I need more room for bottles and retorts " "Of course, Phil must have his laboratory," insisted Nina. "There's loads of unused room in this big barn only you don't mind being at the top of the house, do you, Phil?"
Hard and cruel as it may seem, it was planned that we should keep them alive, ekeing out their fodder until December 9, when it was proposed that we should use them to drag our loads for 12 miles and shoot them, the last pound of work extracted from the wretched little creatures.
Zinti obeyed her, and presently all four of the beasts were eating well, for though they had travelled far their loads were light, nor had the pace been pressed. Sihamba turned, and, holding out her hands towards the horses, muttered something rapidly. "What are you doing, mistress?" asked Zinti.
And in spite of all this apparent disorder the work went rapidly forward. Men climbed in through the open doors. Sacks and heavy cases were passed along. Porters, bending under their loads, slipped through the maze of vans and carts to the one they wanted and deposited their burdens.
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