“Lean on my shoulder, and let me carry your gun,” he said; “you’ll get on better then; and when we camp, and you have had another ostrich egg, you’ll find your strength restored.”
“If I can manage to eat it,” murmured Percy, “but I much doubt whether I can get even that down my throat.”
“Never fear; I see some thick bushes, and I fancy some rocks beyond. We’ll camp there, if you find yourself unable to go farther; and we shall have plenty of fuel for our fire, and who knows but that we may find water?”
Denis said this in a no very confident tone, for he was almost beginning to despair of discovering what they were so eagerly in search of. Still he hoped that rest and food, and the cooler air of night, might restore Percy, and that they might push on for another day, at all events.
Raff continued creeping after them, the very picture of misery, his tongue hanging out, and his head down. Every now and then he would look up to their faces in the most piteous manner, as if to ask when they were going to find water. The poor dog was suffering from hunger as well as thirst; for although he had licked the ostrich egg shells clean, he had got but little nourishment out of them. At last the bushes seen in the distance were reached, and Percy, sinking on the ground, declared that he could go no farther.
“Well then, we will camp here,” said Denis; “and while you rest, I’ll collect some wood for our fire.”
Raff crouched down by the side of Percy, though his eyes followed his master while he was employed as he proposed. He was not long in collecting a sufficient supply of sticks to commence a fire.
“I’ll get more while the egg is cooking,” he said, throwing down the bundle. The fire was soon burning up brightly, and an egg was put on. Percy had just strength enough to watch it, while Denis collected some more sticks. He then came and sat down by the side of Percy, to whom he kept talking, while he stirred the egg. “I think it must be done now,” he said. “Come, eat away, old fellow, and you’ll soon be yourself again.”
“It’s water I want! it’s water I want!” murmured Percy.
“But as we haven’t water, the egg is the next best thing you can take,” said Denis, helping him.