THE MIRAGE.
The small caravan slowly wound its way over the burning sands of the desert. Fifteen days of unbroken desert travel had greatly weakened the little band which had left the last oasis in such gay spirits.
The Syrian merchant, Ahmed, was the leader of this band, and with him was Calvert, a European, and several Arabs. On some of the camels Ahmed had merchandise that would bring high prices in Damascus. Calvert was traveling for pleasure.
By some unaccountable means the caravan had wandered from the regular route, and Ahmed had no idea where they were. The compass told them in what direction to go, but how were they ever to find any particular spot in this trackless waste? Eight days from the last oasis should have brought them to the next on the regular route. Now it was the fifteenth day. The twelfth day found their supply of water reduced so low that only a very small quantity could be given to each individual, Ahmed and Calvert, (to their praise be it told) taking no more than the others.
As for the camels they had nothing to drink, but they would not suffer for a long time, as they had an internal arrangement of water-sacks from which to refresh themselves.
And now, on the fifteenth day, there was not a drop of water. Ahmed would have given all his merchandise for a pint of the precious fluid. Death stared them in the face.
The caravan halted. One of the Arab attendants had fallen upon the sands. He was the first to succumb to the sufferings of thirst, increased by the burning heat of the desert. Most of the men dismounted, and gathered around him, but they could do little for him.
A loud shout from a couple of men on the camels caused the whole party to look up. The men pointed to the westward. Exclamationsof delight burst from the lips of all; for there, not two miles away, lay an oasis, a palm grove in the midst of a clear lake, whose waters sparkled invitingly in the sunlight.
A VISION OF DELIGHT.
A VISION OF DELIGHT.
A VISION OF DELIGHT.
Even the sick Arab turned his dim eyes thither, and his feeble lips uttered a faint cry of joy. The sight so revived him that he was able, lying on a camel’s back, to go with the others to this oasis.
But, alas! the nearer they drew to the palm grove the more distant it appeared; and, at last, they lost sight of it altogether.
Then the travelers knew it to have been amirage, and they looked at each other in despair. But Calvert encouraged them. A mirage, he said, was a picture of some object painted in the air by the refraction of the sun’s rays through a peculiar atmosphere. It was a deceptive appearance, but it was caused by a real thing. In order to produce the picture of an oasis in the sky the oasis itself must besomewhere. True, it might be at a long distance from them; but he thought it more probable that it was quite near. And he indicated in what direction it was likely they would find it.
Calvert spoke so earnestly that the courage of the party revived. They immediately started off again under his direction. And, after seven hours’ march, they did come upon a real oasis. Whether it was the one they had seen pictured in the air they did not know, but this was no matter. It was smaller than the picture, but images of things are often distorted.
The sick Arab recovered after a couple of days’ rest, and the caravan renewed its march, men and beasts strengthened and refreshed. They took with them a liberal supply of water.
At this oasis they also found guides, who conducted them into the regular caravan route; and they all arrived safely at Damascus.