away, I was telling Gibson about various exploring expeditions and
their fate, and he said, 'How is it that, in all these exploring
expeditions, a lot of people go and die?' He said, 'I shouldn't like to
die in this part of the country, anyhow.'

"We presently had a meal of smoked horse. It was late when we encamped,
and the horses were much in want of water,--especially the big cob, who
kept coming up to the camp all night and trying to get at our water-bags.
We had one small water-bag hung in a tree.

"I didn't think of that until my mare came straight up to it and took it
in her teeth, forcing out the cork, and sending the water up, which we
were both dying to drink, in a beautiful jet. Gibson was now very sorry
he had exchanged 'Badger' for the cob, as he found the latter very dull
and heavy to get along. There had been a hot wind from the north all
day, and the following morning (the 23rd of April), there was a most
strange dampness in the air, and I had a vague feeling, such as must have
been felt by augurs and seers of old, who trembled as they told events to
come; _for this was the last day on which I ever saw Gibson_.

"As Gibson came along after me, he called out that his horse was going to
die. The hills to the west were twenty-five to thirty miles away, and I
had to give up trying to reach them. How I longed for a camel! Gibson's
horse was now so bad as to place both of us in a great dilemma. We
turned back in our tracks, when the cob refused to carry his rider any
farther, and tried to lie down. We drove him another mile on foot, and
down he fell to die. My mare, the 'Fair Maid of Perth,' was only too
willing to return, but she had now to carry Gibson's saddle and things,
and away we went, walking and riding in turns of one half-hour each.

"When we got back to about thirty miles from a place which I had named
'The Kegs,' I shouted to Gibson, who was riding, to stop until I walked
up to him. By this time we had hardly a pint of water left between us.

"We here finished the supply, and I then said, as I could not speak
before, 'Look here, Gibson, you see we are in a most terrible fix, with
only one horse. Only one can ride, and one must remain behind. I shall
remain; and now listen to me. If the mare does not get water soon, she
will die; therefore, ride right on; get to the Kegs, if possible,
to-night, and give her water. Now that the cob is dead, there'll be all
the more water for her. E