248 
LEAVE THE DRAY. 
alone exposed in the plains. After smoothing 
the surface of the ground, we made a large fire 
over the place where the things were concealed, 
and no trace remained of the earth having been 
disturbed. 
We had now no time to lose, and moving away 
slowly, drove the horses before us towards the 
water. The delay, however, had been fatal; the 
strength of the poor animals was too far exhausted, 
and before we had gone seven miles, one of them 
could not proceed, and we were obliged to leave him ; 
at three miles further two more were unable to go 
on, and they, too, were abandoned, though within 
twelve miles of the water. We had still two left, just 
able to crawl along, and these, by dint of great 
perseverance and care, we at last got to the water about 
four o’clock in the morning of the 6th. They were 
completely exhausted, and it was quite impossible 
they could go back the same day, to take water to 
those we had left behind. The man, myself, and 
the boy were in but little better plight ; the anxiety 
we had gone through, the great heat of the weather, 
and the harassing task of travelling over the heavy 
sandy hills, covered with scrub, in the dark, and 
driving jaded animals before us, added to the want of 
water we were suffering under, had made us exceed- 
ingly weak, and rendered us almost incapable of 
further exertion. In the evening I sent the man, 
who had been resting all day, to try and bring the 
two horses nearest to us a few miles on the road> 
