Hans Bach exhaled the last mouthful of smoke, casually tossed the cigarette butt into the sand beside him, and a dry gust of wind swept past, quickly burning it out.
Feeling his throat was a little dry, Hans Bach opened his canteen and took another small sip to moisten it.
About four or five minutes later, everyone began rising to pack up their equipment, climbed back into their camel saddles, and continued their dull, tedious patrol.
The camels used in the East African colony were dromedaries, mainly found in the Middle East and North Africa. Dromedaries were best adapted to desert environments, especially tropical deserts. They could go months without drinking water, drawing most of their moisture from plants, and could even survive a week without food or water.
Bactrian camels, meanwhile, were mainly found in the Far East and Central Asia. They were suited to deserts, the Gobi, and grasslands, and compared to dromedaries, they were more cold-resistant.
The two also had their own strengths and weaknesses in practical use. Bactrian camels were suited for carrying heavy loads and had good endurance, while dromedaries were better for riding and ran faster.
"Captain, look ahead! Isn't that someone moving?" Heinz said to Hans Bach.
They had not been walking long when Heinz spotted a moving black line amid the sea of sand.
Hans Bach narrowed his eyes and looked carefully in the direction Heinz indicated. In the distant desert ahead, a black line was slowly moving toward Kenya.
Hans Bach picked up the binoculars hanging beneath him and raised them to his eyes. The distant scene instantly enlarged. After looking closely, he confirmed that it was indeed a group of people dressed as Arabs crossing the border.
"Brothers, prepare for battle. Take out your guns," Hans Bach ordered.
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