“Exactly, and we shall always be glad of your advice and counsel,” said the doctor. “Now, it seems to me that wherever we can we must keep to the mountains. It will be more arduous for our beasts, but near the high lands we may generally find water. Where there is water there are grass and trees, and where there are these we may find food in the shape of birds and other animals, as well as provision for our ponies and mules.”
“Plenty of fish in that big pool,” said Chris.
“Oh!” cried Ned in protest. “We only saw one.”
“But he was after another,” said Chris sharply, “and that big one is sure to have plenty of young ones.”
“His relatives, eh?” said Bourne, smiling.
“Of course,” added Wilton, with a laugh, “and that will include the old folks as well as the young.”
“Yes,” said the doctor, “and you boys must try your hands at catching them whenever there is a chance. In fact, we must all bear in mind that it is urgent that we should be on the lookout for food—not in a destructive way, but so as to have the next day’s supplies in hand. But now about to-day. We have excellent quarters here, the beasts are revelling in good pasture, and though I am anxious to go on I think we had better stay where we are, say for a couple of days more, not to do nothing, but to let this be the camp from which we make an expedition or two towards that peak and part of the way up its slopes, so as to determine in which direction we shall go next.”
There was a murmur of assent here, and Wilton took up the debate.
“I believe,” he said, “that we shall find the source of a river up there, and that then it would be wise to follow it down.”
“That would take us towards the sea,” said Ned’s father decisively.