overhead when they awoke.

"My eye, isn't it hot!" was Jim Tucker's first exclamation. "It is
enough to roast a fellow alive."

"It is hot," Jack agreed; "and the worst of it is there isn't anything
to eat."

"No, and there is not likely to be," Jack replied, "till we get to
Alexandria. There are the guns of the fleet still at it. It is evident
that the forts have not surrendered. I don't see how we can possibly get
along past those forts on the beach to the west as long as they hold
out, besides it is not likely that there has been a landing from the
ships yet, and the rabble of Alexandria will be plundering and killing.
We shall be safer anywhere than there."

"So we should," Jack agreed. "But there is one thing quite certain, we
cannot stop here without food or water. We might perhaps do without
grub for a day or two, but certainly not without water. There is maize
and grain ripe in the fields, so we shall do well enough for eating."

"I suppose they must have wells. People must drink here, Jack."

"I suppose there must be wells," Jack said doubtfully. "But, you see,
the water in this lake is salt, and I should say they get no fresh water
anywhere near, because the ground is so sandy. I rather expect they get
it in small channels from the fresh-water canal."

"Well, anyhow, we can get water there," Arthur Hill said. "I vote we go
back there again. Not of course anywhere near where the Egyptians are;
though I do not know whether that would make much difference, for we
should be on one side of the canal and they on the other. Still, we had
better go beyond them; then we can, as you say, keep ourselves going by
picking maize or corn or whatever we can find for a day or two, till we
hear the firing cease."

"There are sure to be some boats somewhere on this lake," Jack said,
"and we might get hold of one and go across to Alexandria some night,
and reconnoitre. If we find there are no sailors or troops there, we can
take to our boat and pull back again. I think it would be better to do
that than to try to work round by the sea-shore, for I believe they have
fortifications running across from the sea to the lake, so as to prevent
the place from being attacked by a force landing beyond the forts."

"Well, I vote we set out at once," Jim Tucker said. "I am frightfully
thirsty. There are very few houses as far as I can see; if we keep a
sharp look-out we ought to be able to manage so as not to meet anyone.
If any pe