But this had not happened, and now he doubted whether it ever would happen.

It was more likely that they would come to their deaths, there in the marsh, especially as the few ball and shot cartridges which they had saved in their flight were now exhausted.
Not one was left; nothing was left except their revolvers with some charges, which of course were quite useless for the killing of game.
Therefore they were in a fair way to die of hunger, for here if fish existed, they refused to be caught and nought remained for them to fill themselves with except water slugs, and snails which the boatmen were already gathering and crunching up in their great teeth.

Or, perhaps the Ogula, forgetting friendship under the pressure of necessity, would murder them as they slept and--revert to their usual diet.
Jeekie was right, he should have remembered the "uncontrollable forces of Nature." Only a madman would have undertaken such an expedition in the rains.

No wonder that the Asiki remained a secret and hidden people when their frontier was protected by such a marsh as this upon the one side and, as he understood, by impassable mountains upon the other.
There came a lull in the tempest and the boatmen began to get the better of the water, which now was up to their knees.

Alan asked Jeekie if he thought it was over, but that worthy shook his white head mournfully, causing the spray to fly as from a twirling mop, and replied: "Can't say, cats and dogs not tumble so many for present, only pups and kitties left, so to speak, but think there plenty more up there," and he nodded at the portentous fire-laced cloud which seemed to be spreading over them, its black edges visible even through the gloom.
"Bad business, I am afraid, Jeekie.