Only a few miles had been made before the women were so completely tired out that we had to stop and eat our little bit of dried meat and wait till morning.

The little mule now carried all our stock of food, and the precious burden lightened every day.

This delay was not expected, but we had to endure it and bear it patiently, for there was a limit to strength of the feeble ones of our party.

We had therefore to make another barren camp.

Relief seemed so near at hand we kept good courage and talked freely of the happy ending which would soon come.