nd took a mouthful or two each; and then, throwing themselves
down, allowed the horses to crop the scanty herbage.

After four hours' halt they pursued their way on foot for three hours,
laying their course by the stars. They calculated that they must have
gone a good fifteen miles from the point where they turned off, and
feared that they might miss the caravan track, if they went on before
daybreak.

Chapter 9: Safely Back.

As soon as the sun was up they pursued their journey, Gregory's compass
being now available.

In half an hour, Zaki said, "There is a sign of the track, my lord,"
and he pointed to the skeleton of a camel.

"How many more miles do you think we have to go, Zaki?"

"We must be a good half way, my lord."

"Yes, quite that, I should think. Looking at the map, I should say that
we must be about abreast of the line of Gakdul. This route is only just
indicated, and there are no halting places marked upon it. Still, there
must be water, otherwise caravans could not use it. We have about sixty
miles farther to go, so that if the horses were fresh we might be there
this evening; but as it is, we have still two, if not three days'
journey before us.

"Well, we must hope that we shall find some water. Just let the horses
wet their mouths; we can keep on for a bit, before we have a drink.

"How much more is there left?" he asked, after the lad had given a
little water to each horse.

"Not above two gourdfuls."

"Well, we must ride as far as we can and, at any rate, must keep one
gourdful for tomorrow. If we cover twenty-five miles today--and I don't
think the horses can do more--we can manage, if they are entirely done
up, to walk the other thirty-five miles. However, as I said, there must
be wells, and even if they are dry, we may be able to scratch the sand
out and find a little water. What food have we got?"

"Only about two pounds of dates."

"That is a poor supply for two days, Zaki, but we must make the best of
them. We will only eat a few today, so as to have a fair meal in the
morning. We shall want it, if we have to walk thirty-five miles over
the sand."

"It will not be all sand," Zaki said; "there is grass for the last
fifteen miles, near the river; and there were cultivated fields about
ten miles out, before the Dervishes came."

"That is better. Now we will be moving."

The herbage the horses had cropped during the halt had served, to a
certain degree, to supply the plac