The three men looked at each other, not sure how to react. When they looked up, the tall man was gone. They quickly picked up their rifles and searched the oasis but didn't find a trace of him. Tired and weary they went to sleep for the night. At first light, the three men rose. They needed to get an early start for the roughest part of the journey was ahead. They quickly ate their breakfast and prepared to leave the oasis. One of the men looked across teh pool and was surprised to see many different colored rocks just as the man had described the night before. He called to the other men. They looked and say the colored rocks. The 1st man started around the pool to pick up some of them as the man in the white robe had instructed. Another one of the men also decided to go. The 3rd man, however, became impations and angry with them. He wanted to get started and there was no way that he would do such a foolish thing as pick up rocks. Both men gathered up an assortment of different colored rocks, made a pouch out of a piece of towel and with a thin rope tied them around their waists. As they picked up their personal gear, the 3rd man ridiculed them for doing such a childish thing. He told them that the rocks would bruise their hips and legs and make the hard trip ahead even more strenuous. They ignored his remarks and the three of them set off across the desert. The morning quickly became extremely hot and the wind continuously shifted the sand dunes, making their progress slow and exhausting. They stopped to rest quite often, huddling together. Each time the 3rd man became more negative and critical towards the other two men carrying the rocks. Their hips and legs were bruised and already had begun to ache and they still had a considerable distance to go.