n this attitude
of concealment.

One with but slight knowledge of the circumstances, or with the country
in which they were, might consider them over-cautious in acting thus,
and might fancy that in their forlorn, shipwrecked condition they should
have been but too glad to meet men.

On the contrary, a creature of their own shape was the last thing they
desired either to see or encounter; and for reasons already given in
their conversation, they could meet no men there who would not be their
enemies, worse than that, their tyrants, perhaps their torturers. Old
Bill was sure of this from what he had heard. So were Colin and Harry
from what they had read. Terence alone was incredulous as to the
cruelty of which the sailor had given such a graphic picture.

Terence, however rash he was by nature, allowed himself to be overruled
by his more prudent companions; and therefore, up to the hour when the
twilight began to empurple the sea, no movement towards stirring from
their place of concealment was made by any of the party.

The patient camel shared their silent retreat; though they had taken
precautions against its straying from them, had it felt so inclined, by
tying its shanks securely together. Towards evening the animal was
again milked, in the same fashion as in the morning; and, reinvigorated
by its bountiful yield, our adventurers prepared to depart from a spot
of which, notwithstanding the friendly concealment it had afforded them,
they were all heartily tired.

Their preparations were easily made, and occupied scarce ten seconds of
time. It was only to untether the camel and take to the road, or, as
Harry jocosely termed it, "unmoor the desert ship and begin their
voyage."

Just as the last gleam of daylight forsook the white crests of the
sand-hills, and went flickering afar over the blue waters of the ocean,
they stole forth from their hiding-place, and started upon a journey of
which they knew neither the length nor the ending.

Even of the direction of that undetermined journey they had but a vague
conception. They believed that the coast trended northward and
southward, and that one of these points was the proper one to head for.
It was almost "heads or tails" which of them they should take, and had
they been better acquainted with their true situation, it might as well
have been determined by a toss up, for any chance they had of ever
arriving at a civilised settlement. But they knew not that.