WATER AFTER THIRST. 



187 



began to drop off. Xone but Hamdan had 

 brought a gourd. Sha'aban clamoured for water. 

 Wazira, and the four slave-boys, retired to some 

 puddle, a discoyery which they sensibly kept to 

 themselves, lea^dng the rest of the party to throw 

 themselves upon the hot ground, and to cower 

 under tree and bush. 



As the sun sank westward, Wazira joined us 

 with a mouthful of lies, and the straggling line 

 advanced. Our purblind guide once more lagged 

 in the rear, yielding the lead to old Sha'aban. 

 This worthy, whose wits were absorbed in visions 

 of water, strode blunderingly ahead over the hills 

 and far away, guided by the Khombora cone. 

 My companion, keeping him in sight, and I being 

 in rear of both, we all three missed the path, and 

 shortly after sunset we reached a narrow fiu- 

 mara. Here stood, delightful sight! some pud- 

 dles, bright-green with chickweed and brown- 

 black with the mire below. We quenched our 

 thirst, and bathed our swollen feet, and patted, 

 and felt, and handled the fluid, as though we 

 loved it. But even this charming occupation 

 had an end, and other thoughts suggested them- 

 selves. Our shots and shouts remained un- 

 answered, and it would have been the merest 

 midsummer-madness to have wandered in the 



