Up to this Good had chatted and joked, for he is a merry fellow; but now he had not a joke in him.
At last, about two o'clock, utterly worn out in body and mind, we came to the foot of the queer hill, or sand koppie, which at first sight resembled a gigantic ant-heap about a hundred feet high, and covering at the base nearly two acres of ground.
Here we halted, and driven to it by our desperate thirst, sucked down our last drops of water.

We had but half a pint a head, and each of us could have drunk a gallon.
Then we lay down.

Just as I was dropping off to sleep I heard Umbopa remark to himself in Zulu-- "If we cannot find water we shall all be dead before the moon rises to-morrow." I shuddered, hot as it was.

The near prospect of such an awful death is not pleasant, but even the thought of it could not keep me from sleeping.
[1] Readers must beware of accepting Mr.Quatermain's references as accurate, as, it has been found, some are prone to do.

Although his reading evidently was limited, the impression produced by it upon his mind was mixed.