ll not be hard.

"There we had better rest a day and stock up. Fortunately, the cattle
are in prime shape for the return march. I'll warn Bakari to keep his
men away from the water this time, and we ought to get across. Gholab,
come over here. Can you follow a compass-bearing through the desert?"

"Yes, sahib."

"Very well, that is all for now. You see," and Schoverling turned to the
others, "I figure that by sending Gholab and Guru on ahead with the
wagon for three or four days, the other six of us can wait at the
waterhole. That will help out the water in the casks wonderfully. With
three canteens apiece, we will be able to catch up to them after four
days, and our horses will still be in prime condition."

This plan was ultimately followed, and proved excellent. They reached
the water-hole by easy stages, the wagon now being heavily laden, and
gave the cattle a day's rest here. The doctor was forced to abandon his
idea of getting a buffalo, as every pound of weight would tell on the
oxen, but he cared little for that now.

They met with no molestation on the return trip beside the river. On one
occasion Jack shot another of the forty-foot pythons, which seemed to
live in the river, but they saw nothing of the great buffalo herd. On
the day they reached the waterhole a rhino charged down on the caravan
and narrowly missed goring Bakari, but Schoverling managed to drop him
in the nick of time.

The explorer allowed the wagon and the Masai four days' start from the
waterhole. A good supply of fodder for the cattle was taken, although
this was hardly necessary for any save the horses, and with full
water-casks Gholab and Guru plodded off. The others camped, resting the
horses and hunting, and on the fifth morning took up the desert trail.

They caught up with the caravan on the eighth day, after narrowly
missing it, for a compass-led trip over the desert is no easy matter to
keep accurate. The cattle were going along well, the injured Masai were
healing well enough to walk part of the day, and all promised favorably
for the last stages of the journey.

Being away from fresh game, the Masai were forced to drink water on the
desert, much to their disgust. However, Bakari realized the necessity of
keeping his men on the allowance given them, and there was no tapping
the barrels at night this time. Day after day they plodded along through
the dust, and at length Schoverling and the others rode ahead to bring
out the