It seemed, to the men, that they were stopping every few minutes to drink their water but they did indeed walk a long distance, losing sight of Alugean several hours into the afternoon.
All the vegetation around them was dry and brittle, especially that which was under foot. The trees and shrubs, however, were still green and were waxy looking, and sap ran sown the bark of some of those trees.
Their feet burned and it wasn't until the late afternoon that they finally came across a stream that was to give them some relief.
They stayed at the little river for an hour, partaking of its fresh and crystal qualities, and Lloyd caught, with his bare hands, a couple of good-sized fish for their supper.
They built a fire and a shading lean-to by the water's edge and there roasted the fish, then ate them.
When they finished they speculated on the distance that they had travelled and they looked at their maps, putting them fifty-five kilometres from the library at Alugean. This surprised both of them and Boyce joked, remarking that the entire walk must've been down hill.
They knew that they had several hours of sunlight available to them, but both agreed that the time would be better spent in search of a proper shelter, where they could sleep that evening.
They doused the fire and scattered the materials of the lean-to, limiting the evidence that someone was there, in the chance that someone was following them.
Although no one followed, their caution spurred them into a steady pace that allowed them to gain a good distance with each passing hour.
It wasn't until dusk that Lloyd caught sight of a large hole in a hillside, which was overgrown with trees and other vegetation.