n hour. It was four o'clock, and a
vague light heralding the ruddy dawn rose up above the eastern horizon.
Kasim looked dreadfully ill; his tongue was swollen, white and dry, his
lips bluish. He complained of a spasmodic hiccough that shook his whole
body, a sign of the approach of death. The thick blood flowed sluggishly
in his veins. Even the eyes and joints were dry. We had struggled
bravely, but now the end was near.

But when the sun rose we saw a dark line on the eastern horizon. The
sight filled us with thankfulness, for we knew that it must be the wood
on the bank of the Khotan river. Now we exerted ourselves to the
uttermost, for we must reach it before we sank with thirst and
exhaustion. A number of poplars grew in a hollow. "Let us dig here; it
is a long distance to the woods"; but the spade again slipped out of our
hands, and we could only stumble and crawl on eastwards.

At last we were there. I seemed to be roused from a fearful dream, a
terrible nightmare. Green and luxuriant stood the trees in front of us,
and between them grew grass and weeds where numerous spoors of wild
animals were visible--tigers, wolves, foxes, stags, antelopes, gazelles,
and hares. The birds were singing their morning song and insects buzzed
in the air. Life and joyousness reigned everywhere.

It could not now be far to the river. We tried to pass through the wood,
but were stopped by impenetrable brushwood and fallen trunks. Then we
came to a path with plain traces of men and horses. We decided to follow
it, for surely it would lead to the bank, but not even the hope of a
speedy deliverance could enable us to keep on our feet. At nine o'clock,
when the day was already burning hot, we tumbled down in the shade of a
couple of poplars. Kasim could not last much longer. His senses were
clouded. He gasped for breath and stared with vacant eyes at the sky. He
made no answer even when I shook him. I took off my clothes and crept
down into a hole between the tree roots. Scorpions inhabited the dry
trees and their marks were visible everywhere, but the poisonous
reptiles left me in peace.

WATER AT LAST

I lay for ten hours wide awake. At seven o'clock I took the wooden haft
of the spade and went alone through the wood, for Kasim could not move.
I dropped down again and again on fallen trunks to rest; a few more
staggering steps and again a rest on a stump. When I could not hold
myself up, I crawled inch by inch through the brushwo