I sat down, feeling as though I could cry like a woman.

For now we were left alone in these vast solitudes without a horse to carry us, and with a child who was not old enough to walk for more than a little way at a time.
Well, it was no use giving in, so with a few words we went back to our camp, where I found Tota crying because she had woke to find herself alone.

Then we ate a little food and prepared to start.

First we divided such articles as we must take with us into two equal parts, rejecting everything that we could possibly do without.

Then, by an afterthought, we filled our water-bottles, though at the time I was rather against doing so, because of the extra weight.