570 
THROUGPI ASIA 
be the first to die ? Who would be the unhappy wretch 
that should die last — whose lungs would be filled with the 
pestilential stench from the corpses of his comrades ? God 
grant, the end may come quickly — that I may not be over- 
long tortured with this fearful bodily torment — this fearful 
mental angfuish ! 
The hours followed one after another as slowly as dying 
camels in a desert -wrecked caravan. I kept looking at 
my watch ; every interval between looking seemed like an 
eternity. But stay — what was that ? My body was bathed 
in a sudden coolnes.s, so refreshing, so comforting ! The 
tent-flap was rolled up. It was noon. Yes, a faint breeze 
was flitting across the overheated sand-dunes. But faint 
though it was, it was strong enough for my sensitive skin 
to feel it. It continued to grow stronger and stronger, 
until, about three o’clock, it became so fresh that I was 
obliged to draw a felt covering over me. 
Shortly afterwards something happened which I can 
only look upon as a miracle. As the sun drew nearer and 
nearer to the horizon, so did my strength gradually return ; 
and by the time he rested like a glowing cannon-ball on the 
tops of the dunes in the west, I was completely recovered. 
My body had regained all its former elasticit3^ I felt as if 
I could walk for days and da3^s. I burned with impatience 
to be up and doing. I would not die. The thought of 
how the dear ones at home would miss me ; the thought of 
how they would mourn for me ; and how it would grieve 
them, if they were unable to send a wreath to be placed on 
my unknown g-rave — these were the thoughts that tor- 
mented me most. I resolved therefore during the 
immediately following days to strive my uttermost to 
keep going — going — going, to drag myself on, creep on 
all fours if 1 could not get on in any other way, but at all 
costs to keep struggling — ^struggling on towards the east, 
even though all my men — all my caravan should long have 
given up and died. The temptation to just lie there and 
wait — for oh how delicious it is to rest when you are dead 
tired! You quickly slumber off, and forget all your pains 
and anxieties in a long, heav}^ sleep, out of which you never 
