The next day we sighted a big range to the East across a deep valley, and a broken table-top range to the North.  Following down the little creek we came on a shallow native well, quite dry; crossing the grassy flat in which it was dug, winding through a thicket, we again reached open sand.  Here we saw for the first time since leaving Coolgardie the tracks of wild aboriginals, and the first tracks of blacks, either wild or tame, since leaving Cutmore’s Well.  Evidently this part of the world is not overpopulated.  Since everything pointed to the rain having been general, since the tracks were leading in a direction nearly opposite to our own, and since at the time we had water enough, we did not waste time in following them up.

That night we were forced to camp on a barren spot, and tied the camels down foodless; one night without feed does them no harm—­less harm than if they wandered miles in their hobbles looking for it.  The weather was now distinctly hot, unpleasant and stuffy, as if about to thunder; but the nights were still cold.  At midday we saw two fine quondong trees; how the camels devoured them, leaves, fruit, stones and all!  Emus swallow the stones without inconvenience; apparently a camel has an equally convenient interior, but he brings them up again in his cud and drops them out of his mouth as his jaws move from side to side.

Amongst some broken rocks this day, Breaden found a dingo camped in a cave with a litter of pups.  Had we been returning instead of only just starting on our travels, I should certainly have secured one—­not, I expect, without some trouble, for the mother showed signs of fierce hostility when Breaden looked into her lair.  There were no traces of water anywhere near, and I have no doubt that the mother, having found a suitable spot for her expected family, would think nothing of travelling many miles for her daily drink.  Near the rocks I noticed a little blue-flowered plant with the leaf and scent of the geranium.

The appearance of the country now soon began to get less fresh, and drier, and all the next two days we were crossing sandhills, the only variety being afforded by Valerie.  She had lately made it evident that she would soon follow the example of the lady dingo.  Though I had frequently tried to make her ride on one of the packs, she preferred to trot along at the heels of Czar, receiving from him occasional kicks if by chance she touched him, which did not tend to improve the pups so soon to see the light.  Tying her on was no better; she only struggled and nearly hanged herself.  She had therefore to walk as she desired.  Having made camp, and unrolled our blankets ready to turn into them when the time came, Breaden and I experimented on numerous mallee-roots which we dug up, but in every case failed to find any appreciable moisture, On returning to camp we found our party had been increased by one—­a large pup which Val had deposited in her master’s blankets.  It was dead, which was fortunate, as we could hardly have kept it, and would not have liked to destroy the little animal, born in such unusual surroundings.