here they were hidden. As it was, the two
mounted men had not come near enough to note the sign made by the old
salt in his laborious flounderings; and perhaps fancying they had
followed the strand far enough, they had struck off into the
interior,--through the opening of the sand-hills, in the belief that the
she-camel might have done the same.

Whatever may have been their reason, they were now gone out of sight,
and the long stretch of desert shore was once more under the eyes of our
adventurers, unrelieved by the appearance of anything that might be
called a living creature.

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE "DESERT SHIP."

Though there was now nothing within sight between them, they did not
think it prudent to move out of the gorge, nor even to raise their heads
above the level of the sand-wreath. They did so only at intervals, to
assure themselves that the "coast was clear"; and satisfied on this
score, they would lower their heads again, and remain in this attitude
of concealment.

One with but slight knowledge of the circumstances--or with the country
in which they were--might consider them over-cautious in acting thus,
and might fancy that in their forlorn, shipwrecked condition they should
have been but too glad to meet men.

On the contrary, a creature of their own shape was the last thing they
desired either to see or encounter; and for the reasons already given in
their conversation, they could meet no men there who would not be their
enemies,--worse than that, their tyrants, perhaps their torturers. Old
Bill was sure of this from what he had heard. So were Colin and Harry
from what they had read. Terence alone was incredulous as to the cruelty
of which the sailor had given such a graphic picture.

Terence, however rash he was by nature, allowed himself to be overruled
by his more prudent companions; and therefore, up to the hour when the
twilight began to em-purple the sea, no movement towards stirring from
their place of concealment was made by any of the party.

The patient camel shared their silent retreat; though they had taken
precautions against its straying from them, had it felt so inclined, by
tying its shanks securely together. Towards evening the animal was again
milked, in the same fashion as in the morning; and, reinvigorated by its
bountiful yield, our adventurers prepared to depart from a spot, of
which, notwithstanding the friendly concealment it had afforded them,
they were all hearti