n had set, Sailor Bill and three or four others would have dropped
down in despair, physically unable to move any farther. But the
prospect of plenty of water to be found only a few miles ahead, brought
at the same time, resolution, strength and life. Faint and feeble, they
struggled on, nearly mad with the agony of nature's fierce demands; and
soon after sunset they succeeded in reaching the well.

It was dry!

Not a drop of the much desired element was shining in the cavity where
they had expected to find it.

Sailor Bill, and some of the other slaves, sank upon the earth,
muttering prayers for immediate death.

Golah was in a great rage with everything; and his wives, children,
slaves, and camels, that were most familiar with his moods, rushed here
and there to get out of his way.

Suddenly he seemed to decide on a course to be taken in this terrible
emergency; and his anger, to some extent, subsided.

Unbuckling the last goat's-skin of water from one of the camels, he
poured out a small cup for each individual of the _kafila_. Each was
then served with a little _sangleh_ and a couple of dried figs.

All were now ordered to move on towards the west, Golah leading the way.
The new route was at right angles to the course they had been following
during the earlier part of the day.

Some of the slaves, who declared that they were unable to go farther,
found out, after receiving a few ticklings of the stick, that they had
been mistaken. The application of Golah's cudgel awakened dormant
energies of which they had not deemed themselves possessed.

After proceeding about two miles from the scene of their disappointment,
Golah suddenly stopped, as he did so, giving to his followers some
orders, in a low tone.

The camels were immediately brought into a circle, forced to kneel down,
while their lading was removed from them.

While this was going on, the white captives heard voices and the
trampling of horses' hoofs.

The black sheik, with his highly educated ear, had detected the approach
of strangers. This had caused him to order the halt.

When the noises had approached a little nearer, Golah called out in
Arabic, "Is it peace?"

"It is," was the answer; and as the strangers drew nearer the
salutations of "Peace be with you!"

"Peace be with all here, and with your friends!" were exchanged.

The caravan they had met consisted of between fifteen and twenty men,
some horses and camels; and the sheik w