nk
it's possible for a man to get to ride them and like it?"

"Look at that fellow," said Frank; "he seems as if he were part of the
beast he rides."

"P'r'aps he is, sir; being a native."

"Oh, come, Sam, you're getting better," cried Frank cheerily. "Look,
there's a fire outside that tent--two fires. That means cooking, and
cooking means breakfast. I feel as if I shall be ready for some after
all. Look at the place here."

Sam began to grow interested, for they were approaching an oasis of some
two or three hundred acres in extent, where, consequent upon the welling
up of a spring of water at the foot of a clump of rocks, a few dom and
date palms rose up gracefully, and the ground was covered pretty
liberally with closely nibbled-off herbage, and dotted with sheep and
goats, a few camels lying about here and there close to the group of
booth-like tents, while for three or four hundred yards the course of
the flowing water which rose from the spring could be clearly traced, by
the richness of the plants and shrubs which owed their existence to its
presence.

The clump of tents proved to be more extensive than they had seemed to
be at a distance, and the Sheikh's little patriarchal family greater
than the travellers had anticipated. Children could be seen staring
curiously at the newcomers; dark-eyed women stole from tent to tent, and
quite twenty tall, dark, well-featured men came forward to bid them
welcome and relieve the laden camels of their loads; while when the
Sheikh led the way to the largest tent, into whose shadowy gloom the
party entered with a feeling of relief, it was to find ample traces of
the fact at which the old man had hinted in conversation, that he was
comparatively wealthy. For the tent boasted divans; handsome carpets
were spread over the sand, and upon one there was that European luxury,
a white linen cloth, upon which was already prepared, simple and good,
all that was necessary for the welcome breakfast, while in a little side
tent, greatest luxury of all, there were brass basins, towels, and great
earthen vessels full of clear, cool water.

"Hah, Sheikh," said the doctor, with a sigh of relief, "this is grand!
I'm coming to life again."

"I am glad the learned Hakim is satisfied with his servant's
preparations," said the Sheikh humbly. "There will be breakfast in a
very short time. It was hastened by the women as soon as the camels
came in sight."

"But of course we cannot