t no living being was visible. Having
walked some distance, he ascended a mound crowned with an ethel-bush,
where he fired his pistols; but a strong east wind blowing against him,
he in vain waited for an answer. Crossing some sand-hills, he again
fired, and, at last convinced that there could be nobody in that
direction, he supposed that his party were still behind him, and
unluckily kept more to the east. At last some small huts appeared in
the distance. He hastened towards them, but they were empty, nor was a
drop of water to be obtained. His strength being exhausted, he sat down
on the bare plain, hoping that the caravan would come up. For a moment
he thought he saw a string of camels passing in the distance, but it was
a delusion.

He mustered strength sufficient to scramble to an ethel-tree on an
elevated spot, intending to light a fire, but, unable to move about, he
could gather no wood. Having rested after dark for an hour or two, he
once more rose, and discovered in the south-west a large fire. Again he
fired his pistols, but no answer was returned. Still the flames rose
towards the sky, telling him where deliverance was to be found, but he
was unable to drag his weary limbs so far. Having waited long, he fired
a second time, yet no answer came. At last he resigned himself to the
care of the Merciful One and tried to sleep, but in vain--he was in a
high fever. The long night wore away and dawn was drawing nigh. All
was repose and silence: he was sure that he could not choose a better
time for trying to inform his friends by signal of his whereabouts.
Collecting his remaining strength, he loaded his pistol with a heavy
charge and fired once and then again. His companions seemed not to have
heard his signals. The sun he had half longed for, half looked-forward
to with terror, at last rose. His condition, as the heat increased,
became more dreadful. He crawled round the tree, trying to enjoy the
little shade afforded by the leafless branches. About noon there was
only sufficient shade left to shelter his head. He suffered greatly
from the pangs of thirst, till at last, becoming senseless, he fell into
a sort of delirium, from which he only recovered when the sun went down
behind the mountain. Crawling from beneath the shade of the tree and
throwing a glance over the plain, suddenly the cry of a camel reached
him. It was the most delightful music he had ever heard in his life.
Raising himself a