"I'll wake him," he said. "The poor fellow feels fagged and low-spirited. We must not be hard upon him. He hasn't our motive to spur him on." "No," said the professor, "but he must try and brace himself up a bit." "Give him time," replied Frank, and he bent down on one knee--pretty stiffly too--and laid his hand upon the sleeper's breast. "Come, Sam," he said; "we're ready to start." But there was no reply, and the touch had to be followed up by a shake, and that by one far more vigorous, before there was a loud yawn, and two fists were thrown out in a vigorous stretch. "What's the matter? Night bell?" "Wake up, man." "Eh? Who is it?--Where am I?--You, Mr Frank?" "Yes. Your camel is waiting for its load. Up with you!" "Oh, Mr Frank," moaned the poor fellow, "never mind me. I'm about done for." "Nonsense, man! Don't let the professor see how weak you are." "But I can't help it, sir. I'm that sore all over that it's just as if I'd been broken. Go on and leave me; I ain't a bit o' good." "Leave you here in the desert to die?" "Yes, sir; it don't matter a bit. I'm regularly done for." "Nonsense! Rouse yourself like a man." "I couldn't do it, sir. I only want to lie still and die decently. Daresay the next people who come along will cover me over with a bit of sand." Frank laughed. "I do call that unfeeling of you, sir," moaned the poor fellow. "It's heartless, that it is!" "I can't help it, Sam," said Frank merrily; "the idea is so absurd." "What, me dying out here in the desert?" "No, what you said about being covered over with the sand." "I don't see anything absurd, sir. It's very horrible." "Not a bit," said Frank. "There wouldn't be anything to bury." "What!" said Sam, rising up on one elbow and staring wildly at the speaker. "You see, there are the vultures to begin with, and then there would be the jackals." "Ugh! Don't, Mr Frank," cried the poor fellow, shuddering. "I never thought about them. That's worse than the camel." "Ever so much," said Frank. "Come, be a man. How do you spell `pluck'?" "I dunno, sir," whined the poor fellow. "I suppose it would be with a very small `p'." "Try and spell it with a big capital, Sam. Come, don't let the doctor feel ashamed of you." "But I don't seem to mind anything now, sir." "Yes, you do, Sam. You came to help us, didn't you?" "Yes, sir, I did, but--" "Are you going to break down over the first difficulty." "No, I ain't, sir. I--oh dear!--oh my!--I--ugh! what a scrunch!--Hah! Would you mind lending me a hand, sir?" "Not a bit, Sam," said Frank. "I'll help you in any way, as you will me; but I want to see you master all this." "That's right, sir. Here goes, then." The next moment the man had made a brave effort, and he walked at once to his camel and mounted, Frank standing by as the ungainly beast see-sawed to and fro and sprawled out its legs, and grumbled and snarled as it rose upright.