noon
The road followed by Rais Mourad on the day after leaving Santa Cruz was through a country of very uneven surface . Part of the time the kafila would be in a narrow valley by the seashore , and in the next hour following a zigzag path on the side of some precipitous mountain . In such places the kafila would have to proceed in single file , while the Moors would be constantly cautioning the slaves against falling from the backs of their animals . While stopping for an hour at noon for the horses to rest , the Krooman turned over a flat stone , and underneath it found a large scorpion . After making a hole in the sand about six inches deep , and five or six in diameter , he put the reptile into it . He then went in search of a few more scorpions to keep the prisoner company . Under nearly every stone he turned over , one or two of these reptiles were found , all of which were cast into the hole where he had placed the first .