Oh, ma!. . .," etc. I tell him they have
only got themselves to blame; if they had come up with me on Monday
we should have been hot enough, and missed this storm of rain.
When the boys have had their chop, and are curling themselves up
comfortably round their now blazing fires Xenia must needs start a
theory that there is a better place than this to camp in; he saw it
when he was with an unsuccessful expedition that got as far as this.
Kefalla is fool enough to go off with him to find this place; but
they soon return, chilled through again, and unsuccessful in their
quest. I gather that they have been to find caves. I wish they had
found caves, for I am not thinking of taking out a patent for our
present camp site.
The bitter wind and swishing rain keep on. We are to a certain
extent sheltered from the former, but the latter is of that
insinuating sort that nothing but a granite wall would keep off.
Just at sundown, however, as is usual in this country, the rain
ceases for a while, and I take this opportunity to get out my
seaman's jersey. When I have fought my way into it, I turn to
survey our position, and find I have been carrying on my battle on
the brink of an abysmal hole whose mouth is concealed among the
rocks and scraggly shrubs just above our camp.
