Sana’s mother saw at a glance that some terrible accident had happened. But Carl’s parched lips craved water, and putting her fears aside for the moment she wet his lips, bathed his dust-covered face and let him drink.
Then he spoke. Slowly he told the story. The old mother seemed to age before his eyes, as she moaned, “Sana, my child. Did I not warn you?” between her tears, as she sat rocking to and fro on the floor.
The minutes grew into hours and the two still sat there in silence—a silence broken only by the moans of the mother and a frequent sob or sigh from the man.
At last Carl roused himself from his lethargy. The desert fever had spent itself—his mind was once more clear, but his heart was heavy laden.
“What should he do? Whither was he going?” ran through his mind as he stood up from his chair.
As if reading this thought, the gypsy spoke, “You have your work to do. It was willed that this should happen. It is also written that you must do your duty. Your caravan leaves tomorrow. Join it and peace be with you.”
“Yes, that is best. I could not stay here now.”
He bade her a sad farewell and going to his hotel finished his preparations for the journey. This over with, he threw himself, fully clad, upon the bed to while away those long dreadful hours before the dawn.
Sana returned to consciousness to find that the cavemen had camped for the night in a valley formed by the sand dunes. To her great relief, they did not bother about her or Cintani, but sat apart from them chattering in guttural tones, later to lie down to sleep.
Early next morning, the girls were again picked up and the savages set out with them for their home in the hills. The very thought of being clutched so tightly in the arms of the beast-like man, who held her close to him robbed her of all consciousness and she knew nothing of her travels until she came to with a start, lying on the ground with bound feet, surrounded by a strange group of men, women and children, in front of a large cave. The women and children, like the men, of whom Sana saw five, wore little or no clothing.