It was nearly ten o'clock in the forenoon when a dark cloud began to
gather in the south, and I said to mother, with great joy, that we
would at least know the pleasure of being wet, even though we could not
get all we wanted to drink, for surely there was a shower close upon
us.
[Illustration]
Indeed, we did have wind, with thunder and lightning, but not a drop
of water fell. On the contrary, the breeze stirred up the dust from the
plain and filled the air with it, and our parched throats grew yet more
dry because of the salt which we were forced to inhale, even though we
covered our faces with cloths.
How the poor beasts suffered! Their tongues were actually covered with
salt, and not a mouthful of water could they have as a relief from
their distress.
[Illustration]
Save for the absence of rain, it was a veritable tempest of thunder
and lightning, lasting about twenty minutes; then the sun came out
with more heat, as it seemed to me, than before, which but served to
increase our desire for water.
When the sun was no more than three hours from setting, I strained my
eyes ahead, hoping to see the end of this horrible journey, although
mother had told me there was no possibility of our coming to water
until late in the night, and I saw the foremost of the wagons leaving
the white plain, and passing over what promised to be a good road,
toward a rocky range.
Then I shouted aloud in my joy, that we would soon come to where it
would be possible to quench our thirst.