thered in the bottom of the sand-gorse, close to
the spot occupied by our adventurers.

"They've gone off on the wrong track," said Colin, taking his eye from
the glass as soon as the switch tail of the maherry disappeared behind
the slope of a sand-dune. "So much the better for us. My heart was at
my mouth just a minute ago. I was sure it was all over with us."

"You think they haven't seen the shine of the lens?" interrogated Harry.

"Of course not; or else they'd have come on to examine it. Instead,
they've left the beach altogether. They've gone inland, among the
hills. They're no longer in sight."

"Good!" ejaculated Terence, raising his head over the ridge, as did also
the others.

"Och! good yez may well say, Masther Terence. Jist look what fools
we've been all four av us! We never thought av the thracks, nayther wan
nor other av us."

As Bill spoke he pointed down towards the beach, in the direction in
which he had made his late crawling excursion. There, distinctly
traceable in the half-wet sand, were the marks he had made both going
and returning, as if a huge tortoise or crocodile had been dragging
itself over the ground.

The truth of his words was apparent to all. It was chance, and not
their cunning, that had saved them from discovery. Had the owner of the
camel but continued another hundred yards along the beach, he could not
have failed to see the double "trail" made by the sailor; and of course
would have followed it to the spot where 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 SEVENTEEN.

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 i