CHAPTER XX
The Horror of Thirst
"Elephants?" asked Bob, almost bursting out in laughter.
"Come on," suggested Joe, moving slowly down the side of the fissure."Let's have a look at the strange drawings."
The youths slid to the bottom, where Dr. Kirshner stood staring at thewall.
Bob nodded.
"Drawings of elephants, all right," he said, his eyes on the etchedrock. "And look how plain they are."
The archaeologist took out his notebook and copied the sketches as besthe could. Then he turned to the youths.
"Here is proof that the desert was not always a desert," he said, hiseyes becoming bright with interest. "Thousands of years ago thisregion was green with tropical vegetation, like the dense forests ofEast Africa. It was probably inhabited by tribes of people muchdifferent from the Arabs and Tuaregs who now live here. Then came agradual dry spell, and in time the luxurious growth gave way to a hotdesert of sand and rocks."
"Those drawings of elephants, then, were made while this region wascovered with forests?" questioned Joe, becoming as interested as thescientist.
The latter nodded.
"Elephants and other wild game probably roamed about here in greatnumbers," he explained.
After one last look at the strange sketches, the explorers began thetask of climbing up the side of the ravine. It was not easy to pullthemselves up out of the steep crevice, but the rocky walls weresolid, not even threatening to give way.
Then followed an hour of exploration about the top of the cliff,during which time the archaeologist came upon the remains of many otherancient drawings and inscriptions. By the time that they were ready tobegin the descent of the cliff, he had filled his notebook.
"But when we get to the Ahaggars we'll undoubtedly find many more," hesaid, slowly leading the way down.
After what seemed a long time, they came to the bottom of theprecipice and lost no time in getting back to camp.
"Have any luck?" asked Mr. Holton, looking up with interest as thethree explorers moved toward the tent.
"Did we!" laughed Joe and proceeded to tell of the many drawings andinscriptions.
"You boys should have taken the motion-picture cameras with you," Mr.Lewis said. "They would have furnished proof to the outside world."
"Perhaps we can yet," said Joe.
"No, you can't," protested Mr. Holton. "We must not waste any timehere, if we are to find the hidden riches. Right now," he added, "youthree had better turn in and take your afternoon rest. That sun isterrible!"
Dr. Kirshner and the youths did as suggested, glad to rest their tiredlimbs. But they were up promptly at three, packing the tent andprovisions on the dromedaries.
Now, as they continued farther toward the barren mountains, they beganto realize what thirst really meant. As Tishmak had told them, no wellwould be reached until late the next afternoon, and their watercontainers were none too full. Their throats were parched, and theirtongues began to feel numb. The fierce sun seemed all the hotter,greatly stimulating thirst.
All through that day they rode onward, the Ahaggars gradually becomingnearer. It was late that night when they finally stopped and camped ina wild region of large red rocks.
The next day their thirst became almost overpowering, even though theydid not exercise. It seemed that they could stand it no longer, butthey rode continually on toward the well that was located at the footof the mountains.
The noon meal was almost without water. They did, however, sip a smallamount of the precious fluid.
"Oh, if we could only drink all we want!" groaned Joe, hesitating toeat the beans that had been prepared. "Everything is so dry withoutwater."
But although the explorers were extremely anxious to come to the well,they gave full consideration to the midday rest. It would have meantdestruction to ride under that terrible desert sun.
"Before long we'll come to the well," said Fekmah, as they prepared tocontinue the journey. "In an hour it be seen."
"And how glad we'll be," muttered Bob, anticipating the pleasure ofdrinking a large quantity of the refreshing fluid.
The hour passed slowly. They were looking about now, searching amongthe many huge rocks.
Suddenly Tishmak halted abruptly, and the expression of hope that hadbeen on his face changed to one of fear. He motioned for the others tomove on up to where he was.
No translation of his excited words was necessary to the Americans.They understood his anxiety. The well was dry!
For a moment the explorers sank back, and fear--stark fear--seizedthem. Thoughts of disaster haunted their stricken brains--stories ofhow large trading caravans had been brought to a tragic end because ofno water. It was torture unthinkable!
"And after all this waiting," groaned Bob, his hope almost gone.
The others were equally touched. Now that they had met with defeat,they felt at a loss to know how to carry on.
As a last resort Tishmak had fallen into a convulsion of motionsasking Allah that they might be delivered from the jaws of death. Hisenthusiasm grew more intense with every moment, becoming almostdisgusting to the others. Even Fekmah, although he was a devoutbeliever in Mohammedanism, thought the actions of his fellowcountryman detestable.
"Come, now," urged Dr. Kirshner, using his knowledge of the nativelanguage to console Tishmak. "We'll come out all right. This isn't theonly jam we've been in."
The guide finally became his natural self, although still a bitpanicky.
"You'd think after all the expeditions he's led into the Sahara hewould be calm in the face of danger," remarked Bob.
"Danger, yes. But not in the face of tragedy!" thought Dr. Kirshner,although he said nothing. He feared all too much that this might bethe end.
"Where is the next well?" asked Mr. Lewis calmly.
Fekmah put the question before the guide, who replied that there wasno water within a distance of fifty miles. And mountains lay directlybefore them, hindering travel. It might mean a several days' journeybefore they would come to the well, and then there was a possibilitythat it, also, was dry. Disaster seemed almost inevitable!
"But let's hurry on," said Mr. Holton. "Perhaps if we make time we canget to it much sooner than we think."
The camels were urged forward at a fast trot. But before long theywere entering the mountains, and the rapid pace was necessarilyslackened somewhat.
During that desperate ride against time, the explorers hardly thoughtof the scenic wonders that lay before them. Indeed if they had notbeen in such anxiety, they would have seen much to interest themgreatly.
Tall, needle-like peaks were all about, grotesque rocks dotted theirregular plateau before them, deep gulches and ravines wereeverywhere. It was a wonderful view, that beheld by the adventurers,and could have been enjoyed to the fullest had they not been in suchterrible plight.
Luckily there was a full moon that night, lighting the vast expansewith a weird brightness. Countless stars shone down from the clearsky, appearing so close that they could seemingly be touched.
"Like we're in another world," breathed Bob, as he and his chum roderapidly at the rear of the pack camels.
"Does seem strange, doesn't it? I wonder if we'll live to find thehidden riches?"
"Of course we will." Bob cheered his friend as best he could, andhimself felt much the better for it.
Luck was with them that night. The plateau remained open and free frompeaks and rocky crags that would have delayed progress. It was,however, very unlevel, and the dromedaries often found it necessary toslow down to a difficult walk.
It was very late when they finally halted and made camp under thebeautiful mountain sky. After a brief supper, at which almost the lastdrop of water was used, they fell asleep, not to awaken until the sunwas well up in the sky the next morning.
"You know," remarked Fekmah, "it seems strange that that well was dry.I been thinking about it since we left it behind. Tishmak too thinksit strange."
"Why?" quest
ioned Mr. Lewis, sensing that something was in the wind.
"Because," Fekmah said gravely, "it a large well, and should not godry much easy. Tishmak think it been covered up."
There were exclamations of surprise from the Americans.
"You mean," began Mr. Holton, beginning to catch the point, "thatsomeone did it to keep us from continuing the journey?"
"Yes. I think it might have been the two thieves who stole my map.They did it to keep us away from hidden treasure."
There were cries of astonishment from the others. For the past fewdays the thought of the thieves had been absent from their minds. Nowthey began to realize that at last they had probably come into theregion in which were the hidden riches.
"Then the rascals must be around here some place," said Joe, lookingabout sharply. "Perhaps they're right around here."
Fekmah got out the map he had made from memory after the original onehad been stolen. He studied it closely for a few minutes.
"Hidden treasure still great distance away," he said at last. "We notfind it till several days pass. I think the two thieves not here butsomewhere near treasure."
"What's the next landmark?" inquired Mr. Lewis, as the camels weremade to move forward.
"The gorge of Arak," Fekmah returned. "It quite a distance from here,but Tishmak lead us to it quickly."
All morning they trudged on without coming to the well that Tishmakknew was somewhere in the first range of mountains. Although it seemedimpossible, their thirst rapidly increased still more.
"Say," cried Bob, as a sudden thought struck him, "if those twothieves could cover up the first mountain well, they might do the sameto others. Wouldn't it be possible?"
"Not the next one," returned Fekmah. "It too large. Take many, manymen to stop it. But there are several small ones farther on that couldbe covered."
At an hour before noon it was necessary to stop for the daily rest,even though they would have liked to continue in search of water.
They were in a narrow valley between tall, sharp peaks. A ribbon-likedry river bed wound in and out among the brightly colored rocks,suggesting that once a rushing stream had forced its way through themountains.
"How I wish the river were still here," said Joe with a sigh.
As soon as camp was made, the explorers took it easy in the shade ofthe tent, more than glad to escape the terrible heat of the sun.
But before long Bob and Joe became restless. At last Joe got up andstretched. He sipped a very small quantity of water; then motioned forBob to get up.
"What's up?" the latter asked.
"Come on," said Joe, picking up his rifle. "Let's go out awhile. I'manxious to explore these mountains around here. There's no tellingwhat we may come across."
Bob was willing, and as the sun was slightly less hot, they startedout in the direction of a large mountain that had tall, sharp pointsreaching up into the sky.
"What's that over there?" asked Bob, pointing to a wall of rock sometwo hundred feet away.
"Don't know. Let's go over and see."
The youths walked over to the precipice and then halted before a smallcrack that looked to be the entrance to a cave.
"Shall we go in?" asked Joe.
"I'm game. Come on."
The hole in the rock was so small that it was necessary to crawl ontheir hands and knees for a short distance. Then the cave becamelarger, and they could stand.
Bob had his flashlight in his pocket and at once switched on thelight.
"We're in a large cave, all right," observed Joe, casting eager eyesabout. "There's another opening away over there," pointing to the farside of the cave. "Let's go through it and see where it leads us."
The hole was so small that the boys barely got through crawling ontheir stomachs. But at last they reached the other side, and Bobturned the light ahead.
"Just another cave," said Bob. "Chances are----"
"Wait!" started Joe, gazing at the darkness before them. "Let's havesome light over there."
The beam was turned in the direction indicated by Joe, and the nextmoment the boys gave startled exclamations.
"A narrow passageway," observed Bob. "Come on. We'll see where ittakes us."
Suddenly, as they rounded a sharp corner, the youths came face to facewith something that made them cry out in delight.
There, directly before them, was a large underground pool of sparklingwater.
With a word of thanksgiving the young men rushed over and gulped uplarge quantities of the precious fluid.
"At last!" cried Bob, too happy for words. "At last we've foundwater!"