w course: at dawn
they found an oasis and the oxen drank.

And here, on this green acre or so with its palm-trees and its well,
beleaguered by thousands of miles of desert and holding out through
the ages, here they decided to stay: for those who have been without
water for a while in one of Africa's deserts come to have for that
simple fluid such a regard as you, O reader, might not easily credit.
And here each man chose a site where he would build his hut, and
settle down, and marry perhaps, and even forget the sea; when Captain
Shard having filled his tanks and barrels peremptorily ordered them to
weigh anchor. There was much dissatisfaction, even some grumbling, but
when a man has twice saved his fellows from death by the sheer
freshness of his mind they come to have a respect for his judgment
that is not shaken by trifles. It must be remembered that in the
affair of the dropping of the wind and again when they ran out of
water these men were at their wits' end: so was Shard on the last
occasion, but that they did not know. All this Shard knew, and he
chose this occasion to strengthen the reputation that he had in the
minds of the men of that bad ship by explaining to them his motives,
which usually he kept secret. The oasis he said must be a port of call
for all the travellers within hundreds of miles: how many men did you
see gathered together in any part of the world where there was a drop
of whiskey to be had! And water here was rarer than whiskey in decent
countries and, such was the peculiarity of the Arabs, even more
precious. Another thing he pointed out to them, the Arabs were a
singularly inquisitive people and if they came upon a ship in the
desert they would probably talk about it; and the world having a
wickedly malicious tongue would never construe in its proper light
their difference with the English and Spanish fleets, but would merely
side with the strong against the weak.

And the men sighed, and sang the capstan song and hoisted the anchor
and yoked the oxen up, and away they went doing their steady knot,
which nothing could increase. It may be thought strange that with all
sail furled in dead calm and while the oxen rested they should have
cast anchor at all. But custom is not easily overcome and long
survives its use. Rather enquire how many such useless customs we
ourselves preserve: the flaps for instance to pull up the tops of
hunting-boots though the tops no longer pull up, the bows on our