The emaciated appearance of the narrator gave strong evidence of the truth of the concluding words of his story. For nearly a week he had been travelling night and day, and the want of sleep and food could not have been much longer endured.
At the command of the Arab chief, the slaves now buried the bodies of Golah and his son.
Gratified at his good fortune, in being relieved from all further trouble with his implacable foeman, the sheik determined to have a day of rest, which to his slaves was very welcome, as was also the flesh of the dead camel, now given them to eat.
About the death of Golah there was still a mystery the Arabs could not comprehend; and the services of the Krooman as interpreter were again called into requisition.
When the sheik learnt what the sailor had done,--how the pistol had been made an effective weapon by filling the barrel with sand,--he expressed much satisfaction at the manner in which the old man-o'-war's-man had performed his duty.
Full of gratitude for the service thus rendered him, he promised that not only the sailor himself, but the boy slaves, his companions, should be taken to Mogador, and restored to their friends.
After a journey of two long dreary days--days that were to the boy slaves periods of agonizing torture, from fatigue, hunger, thirst, and exposure to a burning sun--the kafila arrived at another watering-place.
As they drew near the place, our adventurers perceived that it was the same where they had first fallen into the hands of Golah.
"May God help us!" exclaimed Harry Blount, as they approached the place. "We have been here before. We shall find no water, I fear. We did not leave more than two bucketfuls in the hole; and as there has been no rain since, that must be dried up, long ago."
An expression of hopeless despair came over the countenances of his companions. They had seen, but a few days before, nearly all the water drawn out of the pool, and given to the camels.
Their fears were soon removed, and followed by the real gratification of a desire they had long been indulging--the desire to quench their thirst. There was plenty of water in the pool--a heavy deluge of rain having fallen over the little valley since they had left it.