We'll go another mile, and if we don't find a stream we must try for some fruit." The dog trotted on a little ahead, and, to their great delight, they came to the end of the monotonous fringe of cocoa-nuts and found that quite a different class of vegetation came down close to the shore, which now grew more rocky, and it was not long before they were able to slake their thirst on the pleasant sub-acid fruit of a kind of passion-flower.
A few hundred yards further and Bruff began to trot, breaking into a canter of two legs after one, and suddenly turned into the jungle, to come back barking.
They soon reached the spot, to find that quite a fount of pure-looking water was welling up out of a rock basin, trickling over and losing itself in the sand, while upon a tree close at hand were at least a hundred tiny parrots not larger than sparrows, fluttering, piping, and whistling as they rifled the tree of its fruit.
"Too small for food unless we were starving," said the major.

"We shall have to fill our bags with what answer here to cockles and mussels, Mark.

We must not go home empty-handed." "Shall I try the water first ?" said Mark.
"No need," said the major, pointing to where, at a lesser pool, Bruff and Jack were slaking their thirst.
The example set by the two animals was followed, and deep draughts taken of the delicious water, which was as cool and sweet as the other spring had been nauseous and hot.
"Now, then; forward once more," said the major.

"Just one more mile, and then back, though I believe we could get round, for we must have come so that the huts are quite to the south.

Yes; we're travelling north-west now, and when we started we were going north-east." "Hist! Look!" whispered Mark; and he pointed forward.
"Phew!" whistled the major.