practically had no rest at all
for a matter of more than two weeks, yet I woke in a few hours. And,
remember, even in eating the calabash stew I had felt no hunger in
spite of my long fast. But now I found myself ravenous. You boys do
not know what hunger is. It HURTS. And all the rest of that night I
lay awake chewing on the rawhide of a pack-saddle that hung near me.

Next morning the young Mexican and his sister came to us early,
bringing more calabash stew. I fell on it like a wild animal, and just
wallowed in it, so eager was I to eat. They stood and watched me--and
I suppose Schwartz, too, though I had now lost interest in anyone but
myself--glancing at each other in pity from time to time.

When I had finished the man told me that they had decided to kill a
beef so we could have meat. They were very poor, but God had brought
us to them--

I appreciated this afterward. At the time I merely caught at the word
"meat." It seemed to me I could have eaten the animal entire, hide,
hoofs, and tallow. As a matter of fact, it was mighty lucky they
didn't have any meat. If they had, we'd probably have killed ourselves
with it. I suppose the calabash was about the best thing for us under
the circumstances.

The Mexican went out to hunt up his horse. I called the girl back.

"How far is it to Mollyhay?" I asked her.

"A league," said she.

So we had been near our journey's end after all, and Denton was
probably all right.

The Mexican went away horseback. The girl fed us calabash. We waited.

About one o'clock a group of horsemen rode over the hill. When they
came near enough I recognised Denton at their head. That man was of
tempered steel--

They had followed back along the beach, caught our trail where we had
turned off, and so discovered us. Denton had fortunately found kind
and intelligent people.

We said good-bye to the Mexican girl. I made Schwartz give her one of
his gold pieces.

But Denton could not wait for us to say "hullo" even, he was so anxious
to get back to town, so we mounted the horses he had brought us, and
rode off, very wobbly.

We lived three weeks in Mollyhay. It took us that long to get fed up.
The lady I stayed with made a dish of kid meat and stuffed olives--

Why, an hour after filling myself up to the muzzle I'd be hungry again,
and scouting round to houses looking for more to eat!

We talked things over a good deal, after we had gained a little
strength.