y echoed his words.

"We must wait till dark, and then get the kegs. After the whole party
is refreshed, we must strike up into the hills at once and search the
valleys till we find a fall or spring, but on no account must we
separate."

So spoke the doctor, but Wilton was in no humour for obeying orders.

"I think you are wrong," he cried.

"Well," replied the doctor stiffly, "you have a right to think so, but
you might as well bear in mind that you have sworn to obey orders, that
I was elected to be chief of this expedition, and that it is your duty
to obey--in reason."

"Do you want to quarrel?" cried Wilton, clapping his hand to his
revolver-holster.

"Certainly not with a man half mad with thirst," said the doctor
quietly. "Come, Wilton, be reasonable."

"Reasonable! Are we not all half dead with thirst?"

"Suffering, not half dead," replied the doctor, who noted that Bourne
and Griggs had moved a little nearer to their angry companion. "Now,
look here, we want your cool consideration of our position. We have
water a few hundred yards away."

"What! Where?"

"In the kegs, which lie where I told you."

"Oh, there!" cried Wilton contemptuously. "We don't want that, but some
big clear flowing spring such as I offer to risk my life to find."

"Risk your life in another way," said the doctor firmly.

"How?"

"Go and fetch in the kegs from where they are lying."

"Bah! If I am to die, it shall be a decent death--not stung by some
horrible reptile. I'll risk losing my way going in search of water."

"I have already told you," said the doctor, "that the state of the
horses will not allow of such a search being made till they have had
such water as we have near. The only thing to be done is to contrive
some way of getting the kegs here without risk."

"Exactly," said Bourne laconically; "but can you propose any way? For I
must own that I cannot without horrible risk."

"At present no way," said the doctor sadly. "My only hope is in the
horrible pests returning deeply underground at night; but I am sorry to
say I know very little about the habits of these creatures. Do you,
Wilton?"

"No," replied their companion bitterly. "Latin, Greek, and mathematics
were taught me, rattlesnakes left out."

"But you," said the doctor, wincing at his companion's contemptuous
manner, "you, Griggs, have seen a good deal of these reptiles in your
time?"

"Tidy bit, sir. I saw one poor fellow die four