RETURN TO THE DEPOT. 
113 
eeeded there was every probability that still further 
west, water would be found upon the surface. Beyond 
these few facts, all was uncertainty and conjecture in 
this region of magic. Turning away from the lake, 
I retraced my steps towards the depot, and halted at 
dark after a stage of nearly forty miles. Here was 
neither grass nor water, and again I was obliged to tie 
up the unfortunate horses, jaded, hungry and thirsty. 
During the night, I released one of the poor 
animals for an hour or two, thinking he would not 
stray from his companion, and might, perhaps, crop 
a few of the little shrubs growing on the sand 
ridges, but on searching for him in the morning he 
was gone, and I had to walk twelve miles over the 
heavy sand tracking him, the boy following along 
our outward track with the other horse, for fear of 
missing the man who was to meet us with water. 
The stray horse had fortunately kept near the line 
we had followed in going to the lake, and I came 
upon him in a very weak and miserable condition, 
soon after the arrival of the man who had been sent 
to meet us with water. By care and slow travelling, 
we reached the depot safely in the afternoon, 
having crossed in going and returning, upwards of 
100 miles of desert country, during the last three 
days, in which the horses had got nothing either to 
eat or drink. It is painful in the extreme, to be 
obliged to subject them to such hardships, but alas, 
in such a country, what else can be done. 
In the evening, I directed the overseer to have 
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