But for the fog, I could by this time have seen my way clearly; as it was, I could only just distinguish the ponchos enveloping the men's heads. When the fog lifted, the light showed a more curious spectacle than most of you have perhaps ever seen. It was the custom, whenever we halted in a sandy desert, for each man to scoop out for himself a shallow grave. In this he lay, scraping the loose sand over his body for bed-clothes, and leaving his head, wrapped in his poncho, above ground. It was, indeed, a most comfortable and delicious bed, as in those days, or rather nights, I often proved. The colonel lay buried alive, as it were, like his men; but he slept lightly, and pushing off his sandy bed-clothes at our approach, he struggled to his feet. [Illustration: Pushing off his sandy bed-clothes at our approach, he struggled to his feet.] "Who is it?" he asked. "Crawford, where is your guide?" "Gone another way to look for you, colonel." "Have the brigs left Ilo?" "Yes; but both Castro and I doubt if they will reach Arica. They are altogether crazy, and as soon as they left the harbour a strong gale from the north, which will drive them out of their course, sprang up." "You are rather a Job's comforter," laughed the colonel. "I daresay they will arrive all right. Still," he continued, speaking more to himself, "everything depends upon their safe arrival--everything! Jump in, Crawford, and have a nap; I may want you presently." He went away with Jose, while I got into his bed, pulled the sand over me, and was fast asleep before the two men had gone a dozen yards. For two whole hours I lay like a log; then a soldier pulled the poncho from my head, saying that the colonel waited for me at breakfast. I rose quickly, made my toilet--not an elaborate proceeding, you may be sure--and waited on the colonel. "Sit down," said he, laughing; "it's early in the day for banqueting, but we must feast when we can. I hope you are not blessed with too good an appetite?" "I don't think I should feel greatly tempted to indulge much at present," I replied, with a grimace at the dried meat I was cutting. "Indigestion would only too surely follow." "Then," said he, and his eyes twinkled with merriment, "we will eat sparingly. I am going straight to Arica, and you will ride with me." "I am afraid I shall have to get you to find me a fresh horse, as my own has broken down, colonel." Turning to one of the soldiers near, he said, "Ask Major Videla to send me a good horse at once.--Take your time, Crawford; I am awaiting a messenger from Tacna." Nearly an hour passed before he was ready, during which time I saddled my fresh mount, transferred my holsters, and had a chat with Jose. He told me they had been compelled to release their prisoners, Santiago among them. "I had no idea you were so hard pressed," I said.