commenced at a short distance from the base of the "dunes."

After a ten minutes' struggle, Bill succeeded in reaching the
dark-looking spot where Colin had conjectured there might be shell-fish.

The old sailor was soon seen busily engaged about something; and from
his movements it was evident, that his errand was not to prove
fruitless. His hands were extended in different directions; and then at
short intervals withdrawn, and plunged into the capacious pockets of his
pea-jacket.

[Illustration: THE OLD SAILOR SUCCEEDS IN GATHERING SOME SHELL-FISH.]

After these gestures had been continued for about half an hour, he was
seen to "slew" himself round, and come crawling back towards the
sand-hills.

His return was effected more slowly than his departure; and it could be
seen that he was heavily weighted.

On getting back into the gorge, he was at once relieved of his load,
which proved to consist of about three hundred "cockles,"--as he called
the shell-fish he had collected,--and which were found to be a species
of mussel.

They were not only edible, but delicious,--at least they seemed so to
those who were called upon to swallow them.

This seasonable supply did a great deal towards allaying the appetites
of all; and even Terence now declared himself contented to remain
concealed, until night should afford them an opportunity of escape from
the monotony of their situation.

CHAPTER XVI.

KEEPING UNDER COVER.

From the spot, where the camel still lay couched in his "entetherment,"
the sea was not visible to one lying along the ground. It was only by
standing erect, and looking over a spur of the sand-ridge, that the
beach could be seen, and the ocean beyond it.

There would be no danger, therefore, of their being discovered, by any
one coming along the strand--provided they kept in a crouching attitude
behind the ridge, which, sharply crested, like a snow-wreath, formed a
sort of parapet in front of them. They might have been easily seen from
the summit of any of the "dunes" to the rear; but there was not much
likelihood of any one approaching them in that direction. The country
inward appeared to be a labyrinth of sand-hills--with no opening that
would indicate a passage for either man or beast. The camel, in all
probability, had taken to the gorge--guided by its instincts--there to
seek shelter from the sand-storm. The fact of its carrying a saddle
showed that its owner must have been upon the m