n."

"Can you see the beautiful country and the mountains there still?"

"No; nothing but the thick, hot, transparent mist and the sand and
sage-brush everywhere, behind, just as it is now in front. I say, how
well old muley keeps to the trail! I wish it wasn't so hazy; we should
see the tent perhaps then."

Ned turned off the conversation at a tangent, for the sight of a clump
of stones gave him a subject full of interest.

"Stones and rocky bits, with little heathery-like bushes. I say, Chris,
keep a good lookout. Isn't this the sort of country for rattlesnakes?"

"Ugh!" ejaculated Chris. "I say, how horrible if the mule were to step
on one of the nasty reptiles now."

"We should have to fit the barrels on one of the ponies then, and take
turns at walking. But let's try and guide them more away from the
heath."

They tried, but the mule resisted their efforts at once and showed a
stern determination to keep to the trail, while the ponies backed it up
on either side.

Then the conversation dropped, was resumed again twice, but in vain at
last, for the heat and exertion were telling upon the poor lads now to a
terrible extent. Their eyes grew wild and bloodshot, the faintness came
on with increased force and refused to be exorcised, with each brain
swimming at first a little, then more and more, till a heavy stupefying
state of torpor supervened, and it was no longer the riders that
directed their four-footed friends, but the latter leading them on and
on hour after hour.

Though the boys could not realise the fact, the sun had crossed the
meridian and was slowly beginning to descend, when there was a sudden
arousing from the torpor-like state, brought about by the mule coming to
a standstill with its legs spread-out widely, hanging its head, while
its drooping ears and starting eyes told plainly enough that it was
suffering acutely from heat and exhaustion, its eyes seeming to say
mutely--

"The burden is too heavy, masters; if I stir another foot I must drop."

"Can we do something--open one of the barrels and soak a handkerchief to
hold it to the poor thing's mouth?" said Chris loudly--he meant it to
be, but it was only a hoarse, harsh sound which came from his lips,
while when he descended from his saddle to step towards the barrel
nearest to him, it suddenly seemed to fade away into the haze through
which they had been passing, and in his effort to catch it poor Chris
fell headlong to the groun