"Cover your eyes and come on," he said, crawling out and starting to beat his way against the gale toward the spot where the Overland girls were supposed to be.
They were huddled together, with their arms about each other to keep from being blown away, every head resting on an arm as they lay face down on the ground.
"Stand up, but protect your eyes," shouted Hi. "Gale's almost over and done for."
"So—o—o are we," gasped Grace, staggering to her feet, and almost instantly landing on her back on the ground where the wind had hurled her.
Hi assisted her to her feet, Grace laughing and choking at the same time. The others, in turn, were lifted up by Hi and Hippy, all leaning against the wind, clinging to each other, and, with handkerchiefs in their mouths, breathing what air they could get in this way without taking in any more sand than they could help.
The wind stopped with a suddenness that left every one of the party unprepared. The result was that they fell forward on their faces, and for a few moments there was a mixup that, in ordinary circumstances, would have brought merry peals of laughter, but there was no laughter this time.
The eyes of the Overland Riders were so filled with sand that they were too blinded to see the stars that once more were shining "just above them."
"Wet your handkerchiefs with water from your canteens and wipe your eyes," suggested Grace.
"Go easy on the water," commanded the guide. "Let's see where we are at before we use water."
"You are right, sir. I had not thought of that," agreed Grace.