race, after a long silence, during w

," was the brief repl

he says?" que

l we reach a tank, whatever that may be," answ

st of alkali. Sometimes the crust is there

re to find one?"

this one about midnight. If we get water there we will be all right. Go easy w

mma Dean. "May I have a drink of y

" admonished Grace,

eard what th

l before you have done with this

but Elfreda was wide awake and alert, filled with a wonder tha

t when Hi Lang halted and sa

rest!" was his

, and the guide, after handing his bridle-

e!" wailed Emma. "I

ve a little peace," ret

and discomforts out here I think she will really enjoy it." Grace petted the wet neck of her p

mustard-plaster suit. I am

I feel," cried Emma.

ac

s, which sally caused a laugh

Lang came up to th

nd make camp,

ater?" ques

make a blaze so we can see what we're doing. When tha

"I should like to know wher

lenty of that

ew moments the Chinaman had a little fire blazing, the guide and Hippy, in the meantime, having staked down the ponies and relieved the bu

hem, set to work to pitch the tents. Carrying canvas buc

has a habit, in this country, of suddenly

t Wingate, as Hi got down in a hole that he had

, reaching for a canvas square, which he spread o

ough the blanket, which was so placed that

d Hippy. "How did you kn

didn't mean it would be here this time. These desert underground streams

inally filled and

ey're too warm to drink their fill. When you come back bring

y the time he returned to the water hole Hi had two more bucketfuls ready for him. In this way all the ponies and the burros were supplied with

nd water here in th

if we

to get used to thirst out here. You will see

mused Hippy

oice, meaning that supper was ready, as the two

thing. I shall have to readjust myself so as to know how to live on fou

ould," tease

ding out clearly defined in the light and appearing very small. Just beyond them the "crunch, crunch" of the ponies' teeth as they tore at the sag

luncheon. Emma and Hippy were first to try the bacon, but no s

f are you feeding

trying to poison u

atter?" grinn

put in my mouth, so bitter I simp

a slice of bacon and knew insta

u eat and drink out here will taste bitter, b

e other girls, except Grace, who, though she disliked that bitter tas

off your shoes, folks. If you get out of bed in the night be certain to put your

res about this camp that you can

m some other time, unless you discov

here the worst that can happen to one is to be pinche

eagerly; and soon after that the camp settled down for the night, enveloped in deep and profound silence. A gen

hoot of an owl. But the Overlanders did not hear. They were sleeping soundly, storing up energy for