The Conquest of the Desert 



until on Wednesday afternoon he was back to 

 within 600 yards of that particular point. He 

 was now suffering intensely, rested frequently, 

 rolled and vomited. Now again he wandered 

 and circled, crossing and recrossing his own 

 spoor and an old waggon track — hopelessly lost. 

 Suddenly a change occurred. He stepped out 

 more briskly and kept a fairly straight course 

 towards some dunes about four miles ahead, the 

 only landmark visible from the spot, and he 

 made for these on a course running roughly 

 parallel to the Zwart Modder road, and about 

 lj miles south of it. A very slight shower of 

 rain fell over this vicinity that afternoon, and 

 this might have refreshed and encouraged him, 

 but the end was now near. He reached the 

 first dune, rested part way up, lay down on the 

 top, then went over to the foot where he turned 

 to the right, then back over the dune found a 

 tree, threw away the stirrup iron and leather 

 he had been carrying from the Monday morning 

 (on the east side of the tree), lay down quietly 

 on the west or shady side, and here we found him 

 yesterday at 4.20 p.m. (7th January 1912). He 

 died at least peacefully, too utterly worn out to 

 struggle even in death, for he was fully dressed 

 in tunic and leggings, and his smasher hat was 



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