Fillee allee pockets," cried Ching; and I proceeded to do so, while
twice as many as I could stow away disappeared under his garments.

"Now," I said, "we must find water and get back."

"Waitee minute; p'laps pilate come back; no have bliskit."

He dropped down upon his knees, and began tearing away the sand from
behind the stone, after which he dragged the case into the hole, and
tossed the sand over it at a tremendous rate, ending by completely
covering it and looking up at me with a smile of satisfaction.

"Now for water," I said eagerly.

"Yes, Ching find water;" and we tramped back, the loose dry sand falling
in and obliterating our footprints.

Ching led the way to a pile of tangled wreck-wood, and took out a jar
covered with bamboo basket-work, and having a cross handle--a vessel
that would probably hold about half a pailful.

"Ching find--float flom junk," he said; and then, with a knowing smile,
he led the way to where the ridge joined the cliff; and, unable to
contain myself when, he stopped and pointed down triumphantly, I fell
upon my knees, and placed my lips to a tiny pool of clear cool water,
which came down from a rift about forty feet above my head in the
limestone rock, and, as I drank the most delicious draught I ever had in
my life, the water from above splashed down coolly and pleasantly upon
the back of my head.

"Ching hear can go _tlickle, tlickle_," he said, stooping in turn to get
a deep draught before filling the vessel, and then leading the way back
over the ridge, and out of the hot sunshine into the place where our
poor companion lay upon his back, muttering hurriedly words of which we
could not catch the import.

This was a fresh difficulty, for he could not be roused into sitting up
to drink; and at last, in despair, I scooped up some water in my hand,
and let it trickle upon his half-parted lips.

The effect was instantaneous; they moved eagerly, and, ceasing his
muttering, he swallowed more and more of the water, till he must have
drunk nearly a pint, and now sank into a more easy position fast asleep,
and breathing easily.

"Ha!" I exclaimed. But I said no more, Ching's hand was placed over my
lips, and he held me back, staring hard all the time towards the tall
narrow outlet of our shelter.

For the moment I thought that this was some cowardly attack--one is so
prone to think evil of people rather than good; but he stooped down,
placed his lips to my ear, and whispere