But the Sergeant was already engaged in lighting a little fire and setting a camp-kettle to boil, into which he poured a tin of beef extract that he had brought with other eatables from our stores on the chance that he might find us.  In fifteen minutes we were drinking soup, for I forbade anything more solid as yet, and, oh! what a blessed meal was that.  When it was finished, Quick fetched some blankets from the camels, which he threw over us.

“Lie down and sleep, gentlemen,” he said; “Pharaoh and I will watch.”

The last thing I remember was seeing the Sergeant, in his own fashion an extremely religious man, and not ashamed of it, kneeling upon the sand and apparently saying his prayers.  As he explained afterwards, of course, as a fatalist, he knew well that whatever must happen would happen, but still he considered it right and proper to return thanks to the Power which had arranged that on this occasion the happenings should be good, and not ill, a sentiment with which every one of us agreed.  Opposite to him, with one of his faithful eyes fixed on Orme, sat Pharaoh in grave contemplation.  Doubtless, being an Eastern dog, he understood the meaning of public prayer; or perhaps he thought that he should receive some share of gratitude and thanks.

When we awoke the sun was already high, and to show us that we had dreamed no dream, there was Quick frying tinned bacon over the fire, while Pharaoh sat still and watched him—­or the bacon.

“Look,” said Orme to me, pointing to the mountains, “they are still miles away.  It was madness to think that we could reach them.”

I nodded, then turned to stare at Higgs, who was just waking up, for, indeed, he was a sight to see.  His fiery red hair was full of sand, his nether garments were gone, apparently at some stage in our march he had dispensed with the remains of them because they chafed his sore limbs, and his fair skin, not excluding that of his face, was a mass of blisters, raised by the sun.  In fact he was so disfigured that his worst enemy would not have known him.  He yawned, stretched himself, always a good sign in man or beast, and asked for a bath.

“I am afraid you will have to wash yourself in sand here, sir, like them filthy Arabians,” said Quick, saluting.  “No water to spare for baths in this dry country.  But I’ve got a tube of hazeline, also a hair-brush and a looking-glass,” he added, producing these articles.

“Quite so, Sergeant,” said Higgs, as he took them; “it’s sacrilege to think of using water to wash.  I intend never to waste it in that way again.”  Then he looked at himself in the glass, and let it fall upon the sand, ejaculating, “Oh! good Lord, is that me?”

“Please be careful, sir,” said the Sergeant sternly; “you told me the other day that it’s unlucky to break a looking-glass; also I have no other.”

“Take it away,” said the Professor; “I don’t want it any more, and, Doctor, come and oil my face, there’s a good fellow; yes, and the rest of me also, if there is enough hazeline.”