y halted
again for the night in cultivated ground, a mile from the river, and
Edgar was ordered to pick corn. The fields had already been ransacked,
and it was only here and there that he found a head of maize hidden in
its brown cases.

After a time the two Arabs joined in the search, and by nightfall a
good-sized sackful had been collected. At daybreak the camels were taken
to a well, where the apparatus for drawing the water still stood, with a
trough beside it. When Edgar had filled the trough the camels were urged
to drink their fill, being taken back once or twice to the trough, until
they could drink no more. The water-skins were filled, the Arabs took
long draughts from a bucket, and the sheik ordered Edgar to do the same.
Then the bag with their maize was fastened on the back of the spare
camel, which was already laden with a miscellaneous collection of goods,
and the party started.

Edgar understood by the preparations that had been made that they had
still a serious journey before them, and it proved to be so. For eight
days they travelled across a desert, their course being to the north of
west, marching from early dawn until sunset. The moment the day's
journey was over he was set to work to gather tufts of coarse grass
growing among the rocks, which cropped out here and there from the sand.
Other vegetation there was none, save some low stunted bushes, which he
also gathered whenever he came across them. With these and the grass a
fire was lighted, and the sheik and two followers roasted a few heads of
maize for their own eating, and with these and a handful of dry dates
appeared perfectly satisfied.

After they had done Edgar was permitted to roast some maize for his own
use. The camels had each a dozen heads given to them. Except at one
halting-place, where there was a muddy well, they received no water; the
Arabs themselves drank sparingly, and Edgar received but a mouthful or
two of the precious fluid. Towards the end of the eighth day the Arabs
began to hasten their camels, and soon afterwards, on mounting an
eminence, Edgar saw some tents standing in a small green valley ahead.
The Arabs fired their guns and uttered loud yells, and at once some
figures appeared at the entrances of the tents and hastened towards
them. In five minutes the two parties met. There were a few men among
those that came out, but the majority were women and children. All
uttered shouts of welcome, and a babel of questions