We slowly left these desolate ridges behind, and at fifteen miles we camped, Jimmy and I being both hungry and thirsty.  Our small supply of water only tantalised, without satisfying us whenever we took a mouthful.  We now found we had nothing to eat, at least nothing cooked, and we had to sacrifice a drop of our stock of water to make a Johnny-cake.  It was late by the time we had eaten our supper, and I told Jimmy he had better go to sleep if he felt inclined; I then caught and tied up the horses, which had already rambled some distance away.  When I got back I found Jimmy had literally taken me at my word; for there he was fast asleep among the coals and ashes of the fire, in which we had cooked our cake.  I rolled him over once or twice to prevent him catching fire, but he did not awake.  The night was very warm; I tried to lay down on my rug, but I was in such pain all over from my recent accident, that I could not remain still.  I only waited to allow Jimmy a little sleep, or else he would have fallen off his horse, and caused more delay.  I walked to, and tried to console, the horses.  Sleepless and restless, I could no longer remain.

Fast asleep is Armor lying—­do not touch him, do not wake him; but Armor had to be awakened.  But first I saddled and put up everything on the horses.  Jimmy’s lips were cracked and parched, and his tongue dry and half out of his mouth; I thought the kindest way to wake him was to pour a little water into his mouth.  Up he jumped in a moment, and away we went at three o’clock in the morning, steering by the stars until daylight; slowly moving over sandhill after sandhill.  Soon after sunrise we fell in with our outgoing track, and continued on, though we had great trouble to keep the horses going at all, until we reached our old encampment of the night before last, being now only fifteen miles from the water.  For the last few miles the horses had gone so dreadfully slow, I thought they would give in altogether.  So soon as they were unsaddled they all lay down, shivering and groaning fearfully.

To see a horse in a state of great thirst is terrible, the natural cavity opens to an extraordinary size, and the creature strains and makes the most lamentable noises.  Mares are generally worse in these cases than horses.  Old Buggs and the mare were nearly dead.  Diaway suffered less than the others.  We had yet a small quantity of water in our bag, and it was absolutely necessary to sacrifice it to the horses if we wished them ever to return.  We had but three pints, which we gave to Buggs and the mare, Diaway getting none.  What the others got was only just enough to moisten their tongues.  Leaving this place at eleven a.m., we reached the gorge at sundown, travelling at the rate of only two miles an hour.  The day was hot, 104 degrees at eleven a.m.  When we took the saddles off the horses, they fell, as they could only stand when in motion—­old Buggs fell again in going up the gorge; they all fell, they were so weak, and it took nearly an hour to get them up to the bath.  They were too weak to prevent themselves from slipping in, swimming and drinking at the same time; at last old Buggs touched the bottom with his heels, and stood upon his hind-legs with his forefeet against the rock wall, and his head bent down between, and drank thus.  I never saw a horse drink in that fashion before.