Free Taj and the Great Camel Trek by Rosanne Hawke Page A

not enough for twenty-two thirsty camels.
    We camped in the scrub as it was getting late. Even with Tommy using English words it was difficult to understand how long it would take to travel to the next place. Mr Giles’ main concern, as well as Padar’s, was that the camels have good feed so they could withstand the long journey ahead. Camels will only eat what they like and will starve rather than eat what they don’t.
    The next day we found the second waterhole was only a few miles on and had better food for the camels to eat. What a pity we couldn’t understand Tommy the night before. By the look on Mr Giles’ face he thought it was more than a pity.
    â€˜This fella Edoldeh,’ Tommy said.
    â€˜We will not stop here,’ Mr Giles said shortly. ‘Let’s press on to reach the next oasis.’
    â€˜Oasis is a bloody exaggeration,’ mumbled Jess Young.
    Tommy said the next one was Cudyeh. ‘Close up,’ he said.
    â€˜Close up’ turned out to be another eighteen miles, but it was a good place to camp. There were rocks in a hollow with holes filled with water. Since it had rained recently, the water had poured down into them and the area was under two feet of water. We took long sticks and waded in but there was a lot of mud under the surface. It was hard to tell if the natural wells were deep or not. At least the camels had a drink.
    I couldn’t believe how much I was learning about water and wells. There wouldn’t be any reason to worry about water now, surely, if Tommy could find these. Whatever strange feelings I had towards Tommy, I couldn’t begrudge him the fact he could find water.
    It was the twenty-ninth of June; we had passed quite a few of Tommy’s waterholes which may have been fine for a few people to drink from but weren’t suitable for camels. I hoped we’d find more water. ‘Big one coming,’ Tommy said. ‘Him name Bring.’ Tommy kept sayingthat Bring was a ‘big’ one but when we finally saw it Jess Young blasphemed.
    Bring was just a dry salt lake. To the south of the lake Tommy pointed out a small rock hole with a few dozen gallons of water in it. No one was happy but since Jess Young began vomiting and groaning, we camped there. Peter made a dreadful medicine for Jess Young from flour and water. I’m sure it stuck all his insides together. Mr Giles asked Jess Young if he enjoyed the gluepot, but Jess Young didn’t appreciate the joke.
    Rain fell in the morning, so we stayed at Bring. Mr Tietkens showed Alec and me how to make dams with clay and we had baths using buckets. Alec was happy. ‘This is almost as good as having a bath at home with hot water.’ Baths made me think of Emmeline and how she hated them. I wondered what she was doing and I hoped I could write well enough to send her a letter soon.
    Peter’s medicine worked on Jess Young. When he felt better we left Bring. That night Mr Giles said, ‘We will push on to reach Youldeh.’ He looked at the officers. ‘We will set up a depot there.’ Padar and I were anxious to reach there too before Salmah calved.
    Before we slept I asked Padar for another story. I knew I needed to be braver to ask what I needed to know butI also wanted to do it when Padar and I were alone. The only time that happened was when we collected the camels in the mornings, and then Padar’s mind was on the work to be done. ‘One from your country, Padar.’ Alec joined in and begged him as well. Even Jess Young listened while he sketched in his book. Padar smiled at Alec and me. He seemed to enjoy his storyteller status.
    â€˜There was one and there was none. Except for God there was no one. Once there was a powerful king who had seven daughters.’
    I grinned. Many of the stories Padar told had seven sons or seven daughters. ‘One day,’ Padar said, ‘the king he asked them all how much they loved him.