He was, after all, glad that he had not taken up the sandal.

It had brought him as far as he was now, and he considered it his duty to go to the bitter end, and find out everything if possible.

That he exposed himself more than was really necessary did not enter his mind.

He failed to consider that if he were killed, nobody would be able to give timely warning at the Rito, and that the very search for him might expose his people to the danger which he was striving to avert.

Death had little terror for him; it was nothing but the end of all pain and trouble.
As soon as Topanashka believed that he had come again into proximity of the path, he resumed his previous methods of locomotion; that is, he began to crawl on hands and feet.