I know four or five other officers coming up, so we will spread our things about, and keep the whole carriage to ourselves, if we can." In an hour, the train started.

Every place was occupied.

Ewart had spoken to his friends, as they arrived, and they had all taken places in the same compartment.

The journey lasted forty hours, and Gregory admitted that the description Captain Ewart had given him, of the dust, was by no means exaggerated.

He had brought, as had been suggested, a water skin and a porous earthenware bottle; together with a roll of cotton-wool to serve as a stopper to the latter, to keep out the dust.
In a tightly fitting handbag he had an ample supply of food for three days.