CHAPTER THIRTY.
WAKING UP.
"Oh, Chris!" groaned Ned, as he dismounted feebly, to fall on one kneeby his companion's side.
Chris's eyes followed every movement, and he seemed to hear what wassaid, for he smiled faintly.
"That's you, isn't it, Ned?" he said slowly. "Can't see. Black spotsfloating about in front, and everything going round and round."
Ned's answer was another groan, for the trouble was on the increase.
The poor mule had done its best and kept on till it could do no more.Just then it made an effort to go on again, looking wistfully at Ned, inwhose acts it evidently read an order for it to advance.
Drawing its legs together into a more natural attitude, it took a stepor two, stumbled, and then dropped upon its knees, made another effortto rise, but failed, and doubled its hind-legs under it, to crouch sothat the two barrels rested on the sand; and then the poor beast uttereda long hoarse sigh as if of relief, while for a time it made no furthereffort to stir.
Ned glanced at the ponies, the thought occurring to him that he ought tosecure their reins; but they did not display the slightest desire toleave their companion, only stretching out their necks towards the muleand breathing hard before pressing forward slightly, to begin snuffingat one of the barrels.
This act set Ned's wits working, and he recalled what Chris was about todo. He was so faint and giddy that it required a painful effort even tostir, but he caught the kerchief from his companion's hand and began tounfasten the well-secured stopper of the nearest barrel, which stoodsteady enough now in the sand.
This done, he thrust in about half of the kerchief, let it soak full ofwater, raised it carefully so that every superabundant drop should fallback into the barrel, and then, pressing open Chris's lips, squeezed afew drops between them, more and more as they were swallowed withavidity, and passed his wet hands over the prostrate lad's temples.
This he did again and again, suffering an acute longing to treat himselfin the same way, but resisting the temptation, till Chris closed hiseyes with a weary sigh, his lips tightening together, and he laymotionless.
Ned soaked the handkerchief again, and pressed its contents in his ownmouth, swallowing the moisture with avidity, noting the while that thetwo ponies were licking the farther barrel and breathing hard, as ifthey could feel the cool fresh odour of the water playing in theirnostrils, while at the same time the mule, pinned down by the weight ofthe two barrels, strained its neck round and whinnied, as it lookedpiteously in his face.
The look had its effect, for the end of the kerchief was once morethrust into the barrel, allowed to soak, and then drawn out.
"I don't know how we're going to manage," thought the boy, as he heldthe dripping corner of the kerchief towards the mule's muzzle; but thepoor brute did, and acted without hesitation, making a snap as sharplydelivered as that of a dog, and catching the end between its strongteeth. Then it gave its head a toss, and treating the water-bearingpiece of fabric as if it were a wisp of wet grass, drew it, dripping andcool, right into its mouth, the sharp tug or two given overcoming Ned'sresistance.
Before the boy could recover from his surprise there was a quick juicysound of champing in accord with the movement of the mule's jaws, agulp, and the kerchief had gone.
"You stupid brute!" cried Ned indignantly. "What am I to do now?"
Common-sense suggested what should be his next proceeding, and that wasto take off his own handkerchief and his felt hat, which he turnedinside out. Then laying it beyond the mule's reach, he soaked the freshkerchief till it would hold no more, squeezed it so that the contentsfell into the reversed crown of his hat, and repeated the act till abouthalf of half-a-pint of dirty water lay ready. This he held out to themule, which plunged in its lips and rapidly sucked out every drop.
Repeating the process, Ned managed to give each of the ponies enough towash out its mouth.
"If I only had a straw or a reed!" thought the boy; but there was hardlya twig of the sage-brush to be seen, and he shook his head in despair.
But there was something else to do. The mule was fidgeting, and anyrestive action on the beast's part might mean waste of water; so hehurriedly closed the tompion, leaving its brass chain so that there wasno risk of loss; and this was hardly done before, refreshed by itsportion, the mule made a desperate effort to rise, but only got itsfore-legs well planted, and then sank back. It made two more trials,but with less and less success, and then, apparently fully aware of thefact that the weight carried was too much for it, resignation ensued,and the poor beast lay partly over on its side between the barrels, andmade no further effort beyond seeking for a restful position in which tolay its heavy head. This was fully stretched out in the sand, where thelast thing Ned seemed to see was the twitching of the poor brute's longears to rid itself of the flies which attacked it as if under the ideathat they had found something dead.
The sun's intense heat soon made the boy aware of the fact that his headwas bare, and restoring his hat to its proper shape he replaced it,finding it cool enough to enable him to think a little more clearly ofhis position and ask himself whether he could do anything more. Heasked Chris the same question that he had put to himself, but there wasno reply, for it was evident that the poor fellow had sunk into acomplete state of stupor, and he was soon aware that he was fastfollowing his friend's example. For the soft black spots began to floatbefore his eyes, growing larger and larger, till they seemed to blot outthe objects that had begun to sail slowly round and round.
There was a little reaction after this, and he saw the mule's eyesclosed and the two mustangs sniffing again at the farther barrel, andheard them sigh as if in weary disappointment at not being able to getat the contents. But Ned felt no trouble, for everything seemed to berestful now that he was convinced that he could do no more after doinghis best.
There was the glowing haze all around, and the terrible silence of thedusty plain, with the nearest objects standing out with wonderfulclearness, till they began at last to sail slowly round and round him,while the black spots formed in front of his eyes--tiny distinct specksat first, which gradually swelled and swelled till they grew soft andblurred; blacker and blacker too, as they blotted out the movingobjects, and finally the glowing, hot, silvery haze; and then all wasblack darkness and silence profound.
At last.
Ned did not know what that meant. He did not hear any words spoken norhow it was. It was his coming back into a state of consciousness, andall he felt was that it somehow was at last. Time had nothing to dowith it, and the first consistent thought was that it rained hard; thenext that something was stinging his nostrils as if hundreds of tinypoints were being inserted into the soft, delicate skin.
Soon after he seemed to be listening to people talking a long way off.They were making remarks about some one else, but he had no idea what,till it was as if something cracked in each ear and he started with hiseyes wide open, to see that the sky above was all of a deep red glow,and on looking round him there were faces and mules, and packs lyingjust as if they had been taken off the mules' backs.
"He's coming round now," said a familiar voice, and then he startedagain, to find that everything was clear, and that he was looking in thedoctor's face.
"Is he?" said Ned sharply, in a voice that he did not know for his own."Has he been very bad?"
"Worse than any of us, Ned, my boy," said another familiar voice.
"Is that you, father?" cried Ned.
"What's left of me, my boy. I began to think we should never shakehands again. You two fellows saved our lives."
Ned was silent, and lay with his hand pressed to his forehead, waitingtill he could quite grasp that which seemed to be dancing strangely inhis brain.
"No, father," he said at length; "I recollect now. We did try, but wecouldn't. We broke down."
"Yes," said the doctor; "but just where we could find you when we werestruggling on and nearly at the last gasp."
"I don't understand you, Mr Lee.--Who's that--Griggs?"
"Yes, it's me," said the American, "but I'm feeling pretty thin, my lad,I can tell you. May I shake hands?"
"Why, of course!" cried Ned.
"Come away from him now," said the doctor in a whisper. "I'm rathertroubled about his head."
"Oh, it don't ache now," said Ned sharply, "and things are not goinground now. But you said Chris was better?"
"Yes. He's sleeping under the tent. I kept you here because there ismore air."
"Where are we?" asked Ned anxiously.
"Just in the same spot as when we found you, with the mule broken-downunder the heavy load of water."
"Of course. I remember it all now," cried Ned excitedly. "I broke downfirst, and after I got better it was poor old Chris. But he's all rightnow?"
"He will be soon," said the doctor.
"Can you tell us how far it is to the water, Ned?" said Wilton, makinghimself heard for the first time.
"No," said Ned thoughtfully, "but I'm afraid it's a long way. Why?"
"Because we've finished one of the barrels and half of the other, myboy," said Bourne. "We must be getting on again, then, doctor?"
"Yes; as soon as they can sit their horses."
"Can't be very far, sir," said Griggs, "because of the time they wereaway. Say, Ned, my lad, can you tell us when you started back with thewater?"
"Yes," said the boy; "directly after sunrise."
"And when did the mule cave in?"
"I don't quite know, because my head felt so thick; but it was when thesun was hottest. I think I could show you the way, though."
"Oh, we can find the way, squire; you have written that down clearlyenough in the sand. Tell us one thing more, though," said Griggs."What did you find--a rock spring or a pool?"
"A great lake that stretched out as far as we could see."
There was a faint cheer at this, and the boy smiled.
"But there are big 'gators in it."
"I don't care if there are crocodiles in it half-a-mile long," criedGriggs. "We're going to have our share. Then it's beyond the saltdesert?"
"Oh yes. Beautiful green country, with mountains and trees."
"Within half-a-day's journey," said the doctor. "Then I think we maygive the poor beasts what water there is left."
"Yes, sir," said Griggs. "I'll give 'em my share; but I never grudgedparting with it so much before in my life. Shall I begin?"
"Yes, poor things; but they will not have much apiece even now."
Griggs laughed.
"No, sir," he said. "Skeeter would get outside the whole half-barrel ifyou gave him a chance, and then roll round the whites of his eyes andask for more."
By the time the water had been given to the beasts, all but a smallportion reserved for the two boys, it was dark, with the stars justdimly-seen through the haze. All was ready, and the mules and horsesstepped out briskly, the last drink having worked wonders; but probablythe wonderful instinct of the mules taught them that they were nearingthe end of their horribly toilsome journey. Perhaps it is not too muchto say that by some subtle power of communication they had learned thefact from those which had made the journey before. Certainly our dumbfriends do communicate good and bad information to one another.
Neither Chris nor Ned seemed much the worse since they had had a lightmeal, but sat their ponies well enough once more, while there was noneed for their guidance, for the mule which had borne the water-barrels,unladen now, having been placed with the bell-bearer in front, startedoff freely enough, and needed no guidance to keep it to the track.
Naturally enough the two boys rode that night knee to knee with thedoctor and Bourne, each giving and receiving a faithful account of theirproceedings, and the lads too learning exactly what had taken place onthe awakening at the camp, when, utterly worn out and suffering, not oneof the four felt in a fit condition to stir, Griggs, naturally thestrongest of the party and best able to cope with the arduous work,being by far the worst.
But he was the first to recover upon the discovery being made that theboys were gone. In fact, he took note of everything during the firstfew minutes, and was able to point out that they had taken with them amule bearing the two water-barrels, and also found and pointed out thetrail the two ponies and the mule had made in the parching sand.
No one felt fit to stir, and the beasts of burden seemed to be in worseplight than their masters.
But the doctor insisted upon a start being made at once, following uponthe trail, and all expected to come before long upon the pair lying deadfrom thirst and exhaustion at the end of the track.
"We never expected to see you alive again, Chris," said the doctor; "andwhen we came upon you at last, just as we all felt that we could go nofarther, we stopped short, no one daring to approach, for we found youlying just as we had pictured you.
"The expedition was to all of us quite at an end, and we approached youat last to lie down by your sides and die, when Griggs saw somethingthat neither I nor Ned's father had noted."
"What was that, father?" asked Chris.
"That the mule's head was pointing in our direction, and that the trailon ahead was blurred, showing that you had been somewhere and were onthe way back. The next minute he was shouting frantically for us tocome on, and we did, having literally crawled up, to find you both aliveand the two casks full of that which saved our lives."
That night camp was made in the midst of plenty, and the sun rose in themorning over the thick desert-heated air to shine upon the dazzlingwaters of the lake and the rich forest-land spreading upward towards arange of mountains of a vivid blue.
It seemed to be the land of plenty that they had reached, whereabundance of game awaited the rifle, fish in shoals were in the lake,and, most attractive of all, away on the horizon, amidst the range ofmountains running to right and left, were peaks among any of which thegolden city of which they were in search might be waiting to be comparedwith the unfortunate old prospector's map.