ards night to
their inexpressible joy, they came to patches on which were found
sparse and stunted vegetation. Halting, they used their last water for
themselves and horses, consumed their last provisions, and lay down to
rest, until daylight should enable them to explore the place around
them. Alas! when the rising sun lit up the scenery around them, they
saw that they had not gained the main land, but had come to an oasis of
about three miles in circumference, much of which was quite barren, and
the rest covered with coarse grass, large beds of slate rock, with here
and there a huge boulder, and the whole intermixed with scattered trees
that looked as if they had struggled hard to maintain existence. The
whole tribe of cactae was here represented, stretching its long
snake-like arms over the rocky place, giving it a peculiarly ugly
appearance. Fortunately, a few shrubs grew scattered over the oasis, on
which their horses might feed, and turning them loose to glean where
they could find anything, being well assured they would not of their
own accord, enter the desert, they dispersed in search of water and
something to satisfy their own hunger. For, having been on short
allowance the day before, they did not relish the idea of fasting any
length of time.

Edward and Jane took a course to the right, while the rest separately
took courses in different directions, with the understanding that they
were to communicate with each other by hallooing, if they found either
water, roots, or game. The children's course at first was over a pebbly
bed, which terminated in a disjointed mass of sandstone, which towered
up to a considerable height, and was one of the objects that had
attracted their attention from the desert. Ascending to the top of this
with much difficulty, a vision of loveliness met their sight--a vision
which gladdened the hearts of the half famished children. A vale lay
before them shaded by luxuriant foliage, and covered with a green
sward, in the centre of which, a lake spreading over about three acres
of ground slept in tranquil beauty, its waters dotted with numerous
water fowl of brilliant plumage.

They stood for some time silently contemplating the scene before them;
their hearts were too full for words, and a feeling of gratefulness
that they had been led thither, made them forget for the time all they
had suffered.

"Shout, Edward, and call them to us," said Jane, as the trance-like
feeling that first