No other living creature larger than a beetle did we come across that day.
Returning to the camp at evening, out of temper, we were met by all the village, headed by the sheykh, who loudly hoped that we had had good sport, and brought home many tigers to provide a feast.

When he heard that we had not so much as seen a single one he fell upon the luckless youth who had been told off to conduct us, and would have slain him, I believe, had we not intervened.
'Didst seek in all the haunts whereof I told thee?
Well I know thou didst not, since they saw no tiger! Behold our faces blackened through thy sloth and folly, O abandoned beast!' Restrained by force by two of our adherents, the sheykh spat venomously at the weeping guide, who swore by Allah that he had obeyed instructions to the letter.
Our English friend was much too angry to talk Arabic.

He bade me tell the sheykh he was a liar, and that the country was as bare of tigers as his soul of truth.

Some of our fellah adherents seconded my speech.
The sheykh appeared amazed and greatly horrified.
'There are tigers,' he assured us, 'naturally! All that you desire.' 'Then go and find them for us!' said our friend, vindictively.
'Upon my head,' replied the complaisant old man, laying his right hand on his turban reverently.

'To hear is to obey.' We regarded this reply as mere politeness, the affair as ended.