There Was No Feed For Our Animals,
Except At The Mouth Of The Gorge A Mile Distant, And Then There Was But
Little.
It would take three to work the well, leaving only one to look
after the camp, and "tail" the horses and camels.
Since the supply was
problematical, the well almost inaccessible, and waste of time the only
likely result, we passed on - the one and only occasion on which we left a
well untried. Numerous natives must have been in this camp, for I found
no less than thirteen bark "portmanteaus." As the gin had shown us the
well without demur, I left all these untouched. It was a struggle between
honesty and curiosity; but it seemed too mean to take things, however
interesting, when they had been left so confidently unprotected. And yet
birds' nests are robbed without any such scruples! I had no hesitation,
though, in taking the gin with us, in spite of her unwillingness, for
famished horses must be relieved. Once across the hills the sand-ridges
became less high, were dotted with oaks, and even had some herbage
growing on them.
CHAPTER VI
LAKE MACDONALD TO THE DEEP ROCK-HOLES
On the 16th we had breakfast by moonlight, and were well on our way
before daylight. From a ridge higher than the others we got the only
glimpse of the lake that was permitted us by the sandhills. About two
o'clock, the gin, who had been making towards the Davenport Hills
(Tietkens), suddenly turned off and brought us to a little well in the
trough of two ridges - the usual wretched concern, yielding no more than
three bucketsful.
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