You see I had an idea that they were dying from want of water.

All four were terribly emaciated, and in the last stages of exhaustion.

After two or three hours' treatment, the two boys recovered consciousness, and some little time later the man also showed signs of reviving, but the woman did not come to until the afternoon.

None of them, of course, were able to walk; and in the meantime they did nothing but drink water.

They seemed not to realise what had happened or where they were until the following day, and then their surprise--mainly at the sight of me--was beyond all description.