Dried leaves in occasional beds rustled underfoot.

Sometimes a perfume like absinthe sweetened all the air.

Lark and chat and rock-swallow leaped to wing, and white partridges ran whistling and clucking out of the way.

More rarely a fox or a hyena quickened his gallop, to study the intruders at a safe distance.

Off to the right rose the hills of the Jebel, the pearl-gray veil resting upon them changing momentarily into a purple which the sun would make matchless a little later.
Over their highest peaks a vulture sailed on broad wings into widening circles.