The hills were not more than eight miles or so away now, and they were green.

There must be water there.
"Come," I said.
Indaba-zimbi lifted Tota into the kind of sling that we had made out of the blanket in which to carry her on our backs, and we staggered on for an hour through the sand.

She awoke crying for water, and alas! we had none to give her; our tongues were hanging from our lips, we could scarcely speak.
We rested awhile, and Tota mercifully swooned away again.

Then Indaba-zimbi took her.

Though he was so thin the old man's strength was wonderful.
Another hour; the slope of the great peak could not be more than two miles away now.