ere are green trees--
palms, I think. There must be a water-hole there, I suppose."

"Yes, I can see the trees, sir--toy-shop sort o' trees."

"Here's a man coming to meet us on a camel too--a man all in white."

There was a pause for a few minutes, during which period the camels
stepped out more freely, as they blinked and looked from under their
eyelids in a supercilious way, drooping their lips and sniffing as if
they smelt water.

"Think there's likely to be a pen and ink yonder, sir?"

"There is with the doctor's medicine chest, I know."

"These camels do move about in a dreadful, wobbly way, sir, don't they?"

"Yes; but I'm growing more accustomed to the motion already."

"That's because you're young, sir, and not set like I am. But I was
thinking that it would be rather hard to write plain, going as we are."

"Very, Sam."

"And there are so many troubles about wills when the lawyers get hold of
'em, and often just about a word or two."

"Quite true, Sam," said Frank seriously.

"You see, there's a nice bit of money I've saved up, sir--over fifty
pound--and I shouldn't rest easy if it all went in law through the will
being made hasty like. P'r'aps it would be better if we stopped till we
got to the tents. What do you say, sir? Might be a table there for you
to write on."

"Well, I feel very doubtful about the table, Sam; but I can't help
thinking that I could write a good deal more clearly lying on the sand
with the paper on a box or a biscuit-tin."

"Yes, sir, I feel sure it would be better to wait now, and I'll risk
it."

"Risk what--the writing?"

"No, sir; holding out till we get to the tents. Seems as if we shall
get there a bit sooner than I thought for."

"Oh, yes! we shall be there in less than half an hour."

"Soon as that, sir?"

"Yes."

"Think I can hold out till then?"

"If you try very hard, Sam," said Frank seriously. "You seem terribly
knocked up; but I feel in hope that a good breakfast and a few hours'
sleep will do you a lot of good, and then if the doctor takes you in
hand, you will feel a different man by to-morrow."

"To-morrow, sir? Think I shall ever see to-morrow?"

"I hope so. Ah, here's the man from the tents! What a good-looking
young Arab he seems, and what a clean-limbed, swift camel he is on--a
beauty!"

"Ugh! Don't say that, sir. They seem to me the most unnatural-looking,
big, birdy creatures I ever set eyes on; and oh, Mr Frank! do you thi