SA VED IN THE NICK OF TIME 
237 
‘ Saved ! Saved in the nick of time !’ I shouted, though 
my throat was as parched and dry as tinder. 
The moment the Somalis heard this cry they shook off 
their death-like lethargy and sent up a hoarse shout such 
as is rarely heard in Africa. They seemed to be going mad 
in their frenzied excitement ; they gesticulated like maniacs, 
and began shooting off their rifles in the air as a thanks- 
giving to Allah. It was a miracle no one was killed. 
Discipline was at an end. We all raced forward up a slight 
ascent. 
At length, as we stood upon the brow of the hill, we 
looked down upon a scene which will never fade from my 
memory. Below us in the valley was what looked exactly 
like an English park — beautiful green grass, big trees, and 
a luxuriant vegetation ! This oasis was somewhat over a 
mile square. Dotted all over the oasis were a number of 
ancient wells, hewn in the solid rock by Gallas centuries 
ago. We made a desperate rush forward, but, to our dis- 
may, we found the water was 20 feet below the tops of 
the wells ! Immediately, however, we lowered drinking- 
vessels into the depths, but these at first brought up nothing 
but a disgusting mass of yellow putrid matter. This filth, 
it seemed, formed a kind of crust on the ‘water.’ The 
water itself was virtually stinking yellow sewage. At one 
time, perhaps, it had been clean water, but the millions of 
birds which visited the place I need not say any 
more. 
We could not wait to boil the stuff. Each of us got 
a vessel full of it and gulped it down in quarts. It did not 
cool my throat ; in fact, after drinking the stuff I felt 
rather worse than I had done before. I was taken to my 
tent and put to bed after giving orders to kill a camel 
as meat for the men. In a short time I began to get 
delirious, and realizing my danger, I handed my revolver 
to my headman, fearing I might do myself some injury. 
Then came pains in the head and high fever. 
Next day I was better, and able to look around me. 
