At the sight, Jeanette, as well as the three horses, pricked up their ears; and, making an effort to trot, were soon at the bottom of the hill, and up to their knees in the water.
It was fortunate for them that it proved a freshwater stream.

Had it been a salt one--and such are very common in the neighbourhood of these gypsum formations--they could never have gone farther.

They would all have perished upon its banks.
But it was fresh water--cool and fresh--and our travellers first drank of it, and then bathed themselves in its flood, until they had washed their bodies free from the annoying gypsum dust.

After this they set about making some arrangements for their night bivouac.
The copious draughts of water, which all of them had taken, in some measure relieved them from the painful sensations of hunger they had experienced; and they began to consider whether they might not be able to give Jeanette a respite--at least until the morning.

While deliberating upon this, they noticed that Marengo had strayed away from them.