592 
THROUGH ASIA 
But even that long- weary day had an end ; the sun once 
more dipped down towards the west. By a desperate effort 
I roused myself, shook the sand off my body, which looked 
as if it were encased in tight-fitting parchment of a reddish- 
brown colour. I dressed myself, and called upon Kasim to 
come with me. He gasped in reply, that he was unable to 
go any further, and with a gesture of despair gave me to 
understand, that he considered all was lost. 
I went on alone, alone with the night and the everlasting 
sand. It was still as the grave, and the shadows seemecl 
to me to be darker than usual. Occasionally I rested on 
the dunes. Then it was I realized how lonely I was, alone 
with my conscience and the stars of heaven, which shone 
as brilliantly as electric lamps. They alone kept me com- 
pany ; they were the only things I saw and knew ; and 
they inspired in me the conviction, that it was not the 
valley of the shadow of death I was walking through. The 
air was perfectly still, and cold ; I could have heard the 
faintest sound a long way off. I placed my ear close down 
upon the sand, and listened ; but I heard nothing except 
the ticking of the chronometers, and the faint and sluggish 
beating of my own heart. There was not a sound to 
indicate there was any other living creature throughout 
all the wide universe of space. 
I lit my last cigarette. The others we had smoked the 
day before; and so long as they lasted, they had to some 
extent stilled the tortures of thirst. I generally smoked 
the first half, and gave the rest to Kasim. He puffed and 
sucked away at the paper mouthpiece for a long time, 
and declared it did him a world of good. But that last 
cigarette I finished myself, for I was absolutely alone. 
May 5th. I dragged myself on and on until half-past 
twelve, when I sank down under a tamarisk. After trying 
in vain to kindle a fire, I dosed off. 
But what was that ? There was a rustling in the sand. 
I heard footsteps. I saw a human figure gliding past in 
the darkness. “Is that you, Kasim?” I asked. “Yes, 
sir,” he answered. The coolness of the night had revived 
him, and he had followed in my footsteps. The meeting 
