of
candles. Then the kameel-doorn, the dwarf acacia, and the wild
pomegranate began to vary the landscape with their contrast of colours;
and presently there appeared the aloe and the mimosa, the bright yellow
of the last-named reminding Ernest of the gorse and broom among which
his walks had so often lain.

But though there was a great improvement in respect of the scenery, its
most important accessory, water, was nowhere to be found. Lavie looked
anxiously on all sides for some indication of the vicinity of the river;
which, if his information was correct, lay only a few miles eastward of
the spot where they had landed. They could hardly have mistaken the
way, for no other opening in the rocks had been visible in any
direction, except that which they had pursued; and the gradual downward
slope of the glen could hardly end in anything but water. But they had
now been travelling since mid-day, only sitting down to rest for a few
minutes, at intervals of two hours or so; and now the sunset was near at
hand. He was greatly rejoiced when, on turning the corner of a dense
clump of euphorbias, they came in sight of what was evidently the course
of the river, though the dense bushes on either side hid the stream from
view.

"Hurrah! my lads," shouted the doctor; "now for a good drink, and a cool
bath too, if the water is only deep enough."

He broke into a run as he spoke, and was joined by the other three, who
forgot their weariness and anxiety in the excitement of the moment Lion
bounded along at Frank's side, as eager apparently as his master. They
were the first to reach the fringe of shrubs, into which they plunged
with headlong haste. But the next moment there came a loud cry of
disappointment; the others hurried up, but only to catch sight of Frank
and Lion standing over a dry bed of sand, which had evidently once been
the channel of the river. There was now not the slightest trace of
water to be seen. The sand was not even moist. Lavie now felt
extremely anxious. There were rivers he knew lying to the eastward, and
that at no very great distance, twenty or thirty miles at the outside,
and probably they were not so far off as even twenty miles: and if so,
the strength of the whole party might hold out until the nearest was
attained. But then the lads were not used to roughing it in the desert;
and they might miss the track and become too exhausted to travel
further. He had fully reckoned on finding wat