midday
His progress was now very slow . The bush was thick and close , thorny plants and innumerable creepers continually barred his way , and the necessity for constantly looking up through the trees to catch a glimpse of the sun , which was his only guide , added to his difficulty . At length , when his watch told him it was eleven o'clock , he came to a standstill , the sun being too high overhead to serve him as a reliable guide . He had now been walking for nearly six hours , and he was utterly worn out and exhausted , having had no food since his midday meal on the previous day . He was devoured with thirst , having merely rinsed his mouth in the black and poisonous water of the swamps he had crossed . His sleepless night , too , had told on him . He was bathed in perspiration , and for the last hour had scarcely been able to drag his feet along .