The boys were at the end of the little caravan, keeping an eye on the pack camels. Although ropes had been fastened from the back of one animal to the head of another, keeping them in single file, it was best to guard them closely, for anything might happen on the desert.
Tishmak, acting as the guide, was in the lead, followed by Dr. Kirshner and the youths’ fathers. Fekmah was in the middle of the line. The twenty dromedaries were spread out over perhaps a quarter of a mile and trotted at a speed that promised to cover many miles in a short time.
“I guess dromedaries don’t compare with camels when it comes to fast traveling,” remarked Joe, recalling something that Fekmah had said some time before. “The one-hump animal makes four times as much speed.”
In the early morning, as it was, the atmosphere was chilly. Bob and Joe welcomed the warmth of their tight-fitting coats.
“I never thought I’d need a wrap on the desert,” smiled Bob, fastening the collar around his neck.
“We’ll need more than coats at night, if what Dr. Kirshner said is true,” said Joe. “Gets cold as Greenland’s icy mountains.”
“Seems strange, doesn’t it?”
“Yes. But you remember it was the same way in Brazil. And that’s about as hot a country as there is anywhere.”
Soon the flat hill of Gara Krima, dominating the sandy plain, could be seen, its smooth surface tinted with many colors. Then it was left behind, and the explorers came to a region of loose sand. The dromedaries found it more difficult to plod through, and slackened their rapid pace somewhat. Although their feet were specially adapted for traveling on sand, they made much better time on hard surfaces.