ad ceased to care what became of
me, by continuing to lift his feet above the overwhelming sand-drifts.
My only wish was to find my father; but so completely was I bewildered
that I knew not whether to turn to the right hand or to the left. His
horse might have sunk down, I thought, and then in a few moments he
would for ever have been covered up from mortal sight; or, overcome with
fatigue and the suffocating atmosphere, he might have fallen, and been
unable to regain his steed. Or happily he might have passed through the
sand-drift in safety, and have been all the time suffering with anxiety
for my sake. But this hope was very transient; the predominant feeling
was that my father was lost, and that I was about to share his fate. I
was thus giving way to despair, when I was aware of a considerable
decrease in the density of the sand-laden atmosphere; the last breath of
the fierce whirlwind passed by; the sun shone forth bright and clear,
and I stood alone amid a sea of glittering sand. Oh, with what an
aching anxious heart I looked around, to see if the one object I sought
was visible on that dreary white expanse! Before me, there was nothing;
a few mounds and rocks alone were to be seen between me and the horizon;
but as I turned round just as the column of sand swept on, not thirty
paces behind me, with joy such as I cannot describe, I saw my father
stooping down and endeavouring to extricate his horse from the sand,
which had partially covered him. I hurried towards him, and leaping to
the ground, threw myself into his arms. For the moment all sensations
of fatigue or thirst were forgotten in the joy of recovering him.

Knowing that my horse was strong, he had felt less anxiety on my account
than I had on his. With some exertion we cleared away the sand, and
once more got his horse upon his feet, though the poor animal appeared
scarcely able to move, much less to bear a man of my father's weight.
We had still one flask of water untouched. We drank a little, and with
a portion of the remainder washed the mouths and nostrils of our horses,
and poured a few drops down their throats, still keeping a little for
any further emergency. This very much revived them; and once more
mounting, we endeavoured to find our way across the desert.

Since the sand-drift first overtook us, scarcely as much time had
elapsed as it has occupied to read the account I have given; but so
dreadful were the sensations I experienced,