22 NO TRACES OF THE BOYS. 
the sea, to see if any foot-prints had been made 
during the night, but none had. There were many 
pigeons about, and as I had still some ammunition 
left, I felt the loss of my gun severely. During the 
morning a very large eagle came and settled near 
us, and I sent Wylie with the rifle to try to shoot it; 
he crept within a very few yards of it, and being a 
good shot, I felt sure of a hearty meal, but unfortu- 
nately the rifle missed fire, having got damp during 
the heavy fall of dew a few evenings before. We 
lost our dinner, but I received a useful lesson on the 
necessity of taking better care of the only gun I 
had left, and being always certain that it was in 
a fit and serviceable state ; I immediately set to 
work, cleaned and oiled it, and in the afternoon 
made some oil-skin covers for the lock and muzzle 
to keep the damp from it at nights. For the last 
day or two I had been far from well, whilst my in- 
flamed hand, which was daily getting worse, caused 
me most excruciating pain, and quite destroyed my 
rest at nights. In the evening we again retired 
among the sand-hills to sleep. 
May 6. — After breakfast we carefully examined 
the sand-drifts and the sea-shore, to see if the two 
boys had passed, but there were no traces of them to 
be found, and I now felt that we were secure from 
all further interruption from them. Three days we 
had been in camp at the water, making altogether 
a period of six since we last saw them. Had they 
continued their course to the westward, they must 
