This widened until it reached another and smaller point of rock, and beyond this Maka believed he would find the stream for which he was searching.

And while he was considering whether he should climb over it or wade around it, suddenly a man jumped down from the rock, almost on top of him.

This man fell down on his back, and was at first so frightened that he did not try to move.
Maka's wits entirely deserted him, he said, and he did not know anything, except that most likely he was going to die.
But on looking at the man on the ground, he saw that he was an African like himself, and in a moment he recognized him as one of his fellow-slaves, with whom he had worked in Guiana, and also for a short time on the Panama Canal.

This made him think that perhaps he was not going to die, and he went up to the other man and spoke to him.

Then the other man thought perhaps he was not going to die, and he sat up and spoke.
When the other man told his tale, Maka agreed with him that it would be far better to die of thirst than to go on any farther to look for water, and, turning, he ran back, followed by the other, and they never stopped to speak to each other until they had rounded the great bluff, and were making their way along the beach toward the camp.