Gregory.* Wills objected to this, and so did King, but ultimately both gave in, thereby signing their death warrant; for if they had remained quietly at the depot, they would have been rescued.
*[Footnote.] See Chapter 18.
After resting for five days, and finding their strength much restored by the food, they started for Mount Hopeless, ill-omened name.

Before they left, Burke placed in the cache a paper, stating that they had returned, and then carefully restored the ground to its former condition.

The common and natural thought to mark a tree or to make some other unmistakable sign of their return, does not seem to have occurred to either of the leaders.

It will be seen further on how this scarcely credible omission was a main factor in deciding their fate.
As they progressed slowly down the creek, one of the two camels became bogged, and had to be shot where it lay.

The wanderers cut off what meat there was on the body, and stayed two or three days to dry it in the sun.
The one camel had now to carry what they had, except the bundles that the men bore, each some twenty-five pounds in weight.