We must be the very best walkers in the world judging from the way we've footed it since we left the castle of San Juan de Ulua." They refilled their water bottles, despite the muddiness of the stream, and went on for three or four days over the plain, having nothing for scenery save the sandy ridges, the ragged yuccas, dwarfed and ugly mesquite bushes, and the deformed cactus.
It was an ugly enough country by day, but, by night, it had a sort of weird charm.

The moonlight gave soft tints to the earth.

Now and then the wind would pick up the sand and carry it away in whirling gusts.

The wind itself had a voice that was almost human and it played many notes.
Lean and hungry wolves now appeared and howled mournfully, but were afraid to attack that terrible creature, man.
They saw sheep herders several times, but the herders invariably disappeared over the horizon with great speed.

Neither Ned nor Obed meant them any harm, and they would have liked to exchange a few words with human beings.
"They think of course that we're brigands," said Obed.