Isobel was frowning, bringing something back. "Why don't we travel at
night?"
"And rest during the day?" Homer said.
Kenny said, "Parking where? We just made it to this wadi. If we're
caught out in the dunes somewhere when one of those planes shows up,
we've had it. You couldn't hide a jackrabbit out there."
But Bey and Homer Crawford were still looking at Isobel.
She said, "I remember a story the Tuaregs used to tell about a raid
some of them made back during the French occupation. They stole four
hundred camels near Timbuktu one night and headed north. The French
weren't worried. The next morning, they simply sent out a couple of
aircraft to spot the Tuareg raiders and the camels. Like Kenny said,
you couldn't hide a jackrabbit in dune country. But there was nothing
to be seen. The French couldn't believe it, but they still weren't
really worried. After all a camel herd can travel only thirty or so
miles a day. So the next day the planes went out again, circling,
circling, but they still didn't spot the thieves and their loot, nor
the next day. Well, to shorten it, the Tuareg got their four hundred
camels all the way up to Spanish Rio de Oro where they sold them."
She had their staring attention. "How?" Elmer blurted.
"It was simple. They traveled all night and then, at dawn, buried the
camels and themselves in the sand and stayed there all day."
Homer said, "I'm sold. Boys, I hope you're in physical trim because
there's going to be quite a bit of digging for the next few days."
Cliff groaned. "Some Minister of the Treasury," he complained. "They
give him a shovel instead of a bankbook."
Everyone laughed.