Taher Noor called
to the camel-driver not to attempt to follow. Although warned,
this fellow persisted in leading the heavily-laden animal down
the slippery and dangerous path. Hardly had he gone a few paces,
when the camel's feet slipped, and it shot down the rapid
incline, and disappeared over the edge of the precipice. I heard
the camel roar, and, hastening up the path, I looked over the
cliff, holding to a rope that Taher Noor fastened to a tree. I
perceived that the animal was fortunately caught upon a narrow
ledge of rock, and was prevented from falling to the bottom by a
tough bush that grew from a cleft; this alone supported it in
mid-air. My Arabs were wild and stupid. Abdoolahi had held on
like a leech, and, as we were well provided with strong ropes, we
soon hauled him up, but the Arabs declared their camel to be
dead, as no power on earth could save it. Having examined the
cliff, I felt sure that we could assist the camel, unless it had
already broken some bones by the fall; accordingly, I gave orders
to the Arabs, who obeyed implicitly, as they were so heart-broken
at the idea of losing their animal, that they had lost all
confidence in themselves.
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