On the second day they arrived at a large creek, without having been overtaken by the party with the missing horses and the pack-horses.

After an anxious day spent in waiting, Alec Jardine started back to find out the cause of the delay.

He met the missing party, who were bringing bad news with them.

Through carelessness in allowing the grass round the camp to catch fire, half of their rations and nearly the whole of their equipment had been burnt.

In addition, one of the most valuable of their horses had been poisoned.