e
recommenced. At the time the wedge of ground fell in Godfrey was working
below and narrowly escaped being buried. A timely rope fortunately saved
him. I never saw a man come quicker out of a hole! Now we were a bit
puzzled. Our position was this: six camels were watered, three were not,
our tanks were empty (my fault, for I should have first filled them and
then the camels; but yet if we had water and the camels had none, would
we have been better off?); our well, containing X, an unknown quantity of
water, had fallen in. Query, whether to recommence digging, or to pack up
and follow the blacks? Now, the well might contain a good supply, or
yield no more than a gallon or two; and the blacks might or might not
have gone on to a good water. It was a puzzle. Finally we compromised,
and I sent Breaden and Warri to hunt up the tracks, whilst we started
work again. On one side of the well was rock, and by strengthening the
other by timber we hoped for success. Luckily plenty of good mulga trees
were handy, and we soon had the timber ready for use. This was the second
night without rest or food, and no more than a mouthful of water each,
for on arrival we had given what our tanks contained to the thirsty
camels.

By putting in crosspieces from side to side of the hole, which we soon
discovered to be an underground rock-hole, and by backing these with
twigs and grass, we managed to make the walls of sand secure, and at last
reached water level, and lost no time, as may well be imagined, in raising
a billyful and having the very best drink we had encountered for a long
time. At the moment almost Breaden and Warri returned, having done their
job admirably. They had followed the tracks to the next camp, away to the
North--a dry camp this--and, noticing the direction the blacks had taken,
returned home. After a feed and a rest we again set to work, and again
the well fell in, but with less danger this time. It was clear that we
could go no further without some sort of caisson to hold back the fine
sand.

Charlie, with his usual ingenuity, constructed a rough but serviceable
one out of the wooden guards on the faces of our water-casks and the
tin-lined box lids that we had taken from Hubbe's camp at Mount Allott.
Instinct had told us right--they were of use!

By this means we reached a depth of thirty feet, first sinking the
caisson, then bailing the water, then continuing the timber and backing.

The hole so narrowed at the b