"I don't think you've done the poor brute much good, Lee," he said.

"I'm afraid not. I ought to have begun sooner."

"But you've done us a lot," continued Bourne. "Half-an-hour ago I didn't seem to have an ounce of energy left in me. I felt as if there was nothing to do but lie down and die."

"And I felt the same," chimed in Wilton.

"But as soon as the demand was made upon me I forgot everything in the excitement, and I feel now ready to go on for hours."

"Yes," said Wilton; "I feel as if Lee had been injecting new life through my veins. We've got all the benefit, while the poor mule is worse."

"Not much, sir," cried Griggs. "Look at that!"

There was no need for the order, every eye being directed at the injured animal, which after lying quiescent upon its side with outstretched neck and no signs of life save the slow, regular heaving of its flank, suddenly uttered a hoa.r.s.e shout, gathered itself together, and rose quickly to its feet, to stand breathing heavily and coughing.

"Why, I do believe he's mastering the poison, doctor, and coming round."

There was no reply, every one being intent upon the mule's movements.

The hard breathing gradually ceased, and the poor brute shook itself, stamped with its injured hind-leg heavily, shook itself again, uttered an angry squeal, and curving itself round reached at the wound to bite the skin, acting, as Chris afterwards said, just as if it had been bitten by a fly. The next moment it straightened itself again, stretched out its neck, and whinnied in a way which brought answers from some of its companions, and then dropped upon its knees and rolled over, struggling a little before lying still, its last breath coming in a weary sigh.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

WON'T YOU SAY GOOD-BYE?

Every eye kept a sharp lookout as soon as the journey was recommenced, and a strong effort was made to place a few miles between the party and a spot evidently infested with the venomous reptiles of whose power such a terrible example had been seen. Plenty of energy too was displayed for quite a couple of hours. Then it died out at once; the boys and animals seemed as if they could go no farther, and a halt was called in about the barest spot they had seen. Several more suitable places had been pa.s.sed--places where there was a scanty growth of sage-brush, others where the plain was rocky or enc.u.mbered with stones; but the doctor's word was "Forward," and the order was obeyed, for in the eyes of the adventurers every bush and every stone appeared to be the haunt of a dangerous enemy.

Where they halted at last the plain all round was thick with a dull silvery haze which intensified the heat of the sun, whose rays seemed to be pa.s.sing through a burning-gla.s.s, and it was only in obedience to desperate efforts that the tent-cloth was stretched for shelter and the animals watered and fed more sparingly than before. The provisions were spread-out, but no one could eat. Every word and look was about the water and directed at the fast-emptying keg that carried it, other vessels having long since been exhausted.

"We must lie here till the sun goes down," said the doctor, almost solemnly, in spite of his effort to speak calmly; "it would be madness to persevere through this heat. Then we must make a brave effort to reach the mountains by morning."

"And if we don't?" said Wilton.

"Don't say if, sir," cried Griggs. "We must do it."

"If there are any to reach," said Bourne, to himself; but his words were heard.

"If there are any!" cried the doctor hoa.r.s.ely. "I tell you there are.

We saw them distinctly, Griggs and I."

"That's so, gentlemen," said the American. "Then you must have lost your way, doctor."

"I have not if there is any truth in a compa.s.s. I laid down our course, and we have not deviated a bit. The sun and stars too have endorsed my calculations. Come, lie down and try to sleep. Afterwards we will serve out some more water, and walk all through the night. We must be nearly across now."

There was no answer made to this, every one lying down to try and forget the agonies of the intense heat and thirst in the sleep which would not come.

Chris and Ned were together, and lay so that they could look into each other's eyes despairingly; but neither spoke, closing their lids at last so as not to see, though with no expectation of obtaining the much-needed restful forgetfulness. But it came, and when Chris opened his eyes again it was to see by the dull red glow that evening was close at hand.

He raised himself upon his arm, and the faint sound he made was sufficient to rouse Ned, who also sat up, and looked at him wonderingly, as if he did not quite understand where he was, till Chris bent towards him and whispered--"Come outside."

Ned followed him without glancing at the speaker, and they stood together in the misty heat glow, to note with wonder that some one was moving about from pack to pack and pausing from time to time to pat the mules.

The haze seemed to have thickened with the approaching night, so that the figure was indistinct and hard to see, but after making a few steps Chris said quickly--

"Why, it's Griggs. What's the matter with him? He's staggering about as if looking for something."

"The water-barrels," whispered Ned hoa.r.s.ely, and he caught Chris by the arm.

"What! He wouldn't," said the boy angrily. "Let's see what he's doing."

The American evidently heard their approach, for he turned to gaze at them strangely; but he made no effort to join them, standing slowly rocking himself to and fro and saving himself from falling by clinging to the mule at whose side he stood.

"What's the matter, Griggs?" said Chris hoa.r.s.ely.

"Oh, it's you!" was the reply. "I could see you both coming, but you looked swollen up into giants, and I couldn't make it out."

"But what are you doing here?"

"Doing here? Yes, I remember. We must find where the water is to-night, or it will be too late."

"Oh, don't say that," cried Ned, in a hoa.r.s.e whisper.

"Yes, that's it," said Griggs strangely. "Must find the water to-night, or it will be too late. I'm going to ride on, but I can't find the mustangs."

"They're over yonder," said Ned quickly, pointing to where the ponies could be dimly-seen.

"No; I've been over there, and they're gone."

"Going to ride on?" said Chris, as a thought struck him.

"Yes, before it's too late."

"But you are not in a fit state to ride on, Griggs."

"No. Everything is going round and round. Head's all strange and queer."

"You couldn't sit a horse now."

"No," said the man drowsily, as he laid his arms across the mule's back, falling forward to slide to the ground, for the mule took two or three steps to get out of his way.

"Oh, Chris," groaned Ned, "what shall we do?"

The boy addressed did not reply for some moments, and then he repeated the American's words as if to himself.

The next minute he seemed full of energy, and caught his companion by the shoulder.

"Ned," he said, "let's take the mule with the empty barrels, and ride on to get water."