Before long they could see palm trees, with their spreading leaves
waving in the soft breeze.
Joyfully they rested during the day. The camels drank freely from the
cool spring. The men filled the great leather bottles with fresh water.
In the evening, refreshed and happy, the men continued the journey.
So they traveled night after night, resting during the heat of the day.
At last, one morning the pilot said, "We shall soon reach the end of our
journey."
The men were very glad to hear this, for they were weary, and the camels
needed rest.
After supper that night Abdul said, "Throw away the firewood and most of
the water. It will lighten the burden of the camels. By to-morrow we
shall reach the city."
When the caravan started that evening, the pilot led the way as usual,
but after a while, weary with many nights of watching, he fell asleep.
All night long the caravan traveled. At daybreak the pilot awoke and
looked at the last star, fading in the morning light.
"Halt!" he called. "The camels must have turned while I slept. We are at
the place from which we started yesterday."
There was no water to drink. There was no firewood to cook the food. The
men spread the tents and lay down under them, saying, "The wood and the
water are gone. We are lost!"
But Abdul said to himself, "This is no time to rest. I must find water.
If I give way to despair, all will be lost."
Then Abdul started away from the tent, watching the ground closely. He
walked and walked. At last he saw a tuft of grass.
"There must be water somewhere under the sand, or this grass would not
be here," thought the merchant.
He ran back to the tent, shouting and calling, "Bring an ax and a spade.
Come quickly!"
The men jumped up and ran with the merchant to the place where the grass
was growing. They began to dig in the sand, and presently they struck a
rock.
Abdul jumped down into the hole and put his ear close to the rock.
"Water! Water!" he cried. "I hear water running under this great rock.
We must not despair!"
Then, raising his ax above his head, he struck a heavy blow. Again and
again he struck the rock.
At last the rock broke, and a stream of water, clear as crystal, filled
the hole almost before the merchant could jump out of it.
A shout of joy burst from the lips of the men. They drank the water
eagerly, and afterwards led the camels to the spring. Then they set up a
pole, to which they fastened a flag, so that other traders might find
the well.
In the evening, the men again started on their journey, and they reached
the city the very next day.