lt certain that he would be caught, and begged him not to go
till we were absolutely driven by hunger and thirst; and so that day
passed, with the rock growing hotter, and the air too stifling almost to
breathe, while, to my horror, I found that Tom Jecks was growing more
and more feverish. At times he began to mutter so loudly that we were
obliged to throw my jacket over his face to prevent the sounds from
drawing the attention of the enemy.

I believe I was half-delirious all that day, and when the night came our
little supply of water was running so low that Ching asked if he had not
better climb over the wall and go and fetch some more.

"No," I said; "it means discovery. We must wait."

I dropped soon after into a heavy stupor-like sleep, and this time I was
the first to wake and see the sun's rays stealing in through the growth
in the rift. Ching was sleeping calmly enough, but Tom Jecks had been
tossing about, and lay in a very peculiar position, which startled me--
it looked so strange. But Ching woke just then, and, nodding and
smiling, he helped me to turn our poor companion back, when we found him
flushed and excited, muttering angrily, quite off his head.

"Nevy mind; pilate get tired; go to-day," whispered Ching. "Get bettee
soon. Now have bleakfast. Waitee bit: Ching makee butiful bleakfast,
chicken, toast, egg, nice flesh tea. There. On'y 'nuff blisket for
to-day. Ching go out to-night get plenty blisket, plenty watee,
plenty--plentee--oh, deah--oh, deah!"

"What is it?" I whispered.

"Oh deah! Not drop watee left. You get up dlink allee watee?"

"No; did you?"

"No. Ching see. Pooh Tom Jeck knock over with arm."

It was only too evident, for the water vessel had been laid upon its
side, and the sand beneath was soaked.

"Ching velly solly," said the Chinaman softly. "No gettee more watee
till quite dalk."

My head sank against the rock, and I hardly stirred the whole of that
day. Ching pressed me to eat some of the remaining biscuits, but I
could not touch them, only rest my burning head there, and try to think
of what was to come. Ching would certainly be caught if he ventured
out, for the enemy never all lay down to sleep together; and, what was
worse, I felt convinced, though in a confused way, that sooner or later
the delirious mutterings and talkings of Tom Jecks must be heard.

I can only remember patches of that day. The rest is all burning heat
and wandering away