Chapter XVIII

           OfourwanderingsinthegreatswampIhavenoclearknowledge.WhenIstrivetoremember,Ihaveariotofunrelatedimpressionsandalossoftime-value.Ihavenoideaofhowlongwewereinthatvasteverglade,butitmusthavebeenforweeks.Mymemoriesofwhatoccurredinvariablytaketheformofnightmare.Foruntoldages,oppressedbyproteanfear,Iamawareofwandering,endlesslywandering,throughadankandsoggywilderness,wherepoisonoussnakesstruckatus,andanimalsroaredaroundus,andthemudquakedunderusandsuckedatourheels.

           Iknowthatwewereturnedfromourcoursecountlesstimesbystreamsandlakesandslimyseas.Thentherewerestormsandrisingsofthewaterovergreatareasofthelow-lyinglands;andtherewereperiodsofhungerandmiserywhenwewerekeptprisonersinthetreesfordaysanddaysbythesetransientfloods.

           Verystronguponmeisonepicture.Largetreesareaboutus,andfromtheirbrancheshanggrayfilamentsofmoss,whilegreatcreepers,likemonstrousserpents,curlaroundthetrunksandwritheintanglesthroughtheair.Andallaboutisthemud,softmud,thatbubblesforthgases,andthatheavesandsighswithinternalagitations.Andinthemidstofallthisareadozenofus.Weareleanandwretched,andourbonesshowthroughourtight-stretchedskins.Wedonotsingandchatterandlaugh.Weplaynopranks.Foronceourvolatileandexuberantspiritsarehopelesslysubdued.Wemakeplaintive,querulousnoises,lookatoneanother,andclusterclosetogether.Itislikethemeetingofthehandfulofsurvivorsafterthedayoftheendoftheworld.