До Адама

           Onefragment,fullyfivepoundsinweight,crashedonthelogalongsideofme,andsuchwasitsimpactthatitdroveascoreofsplinters,likefieryneedles,intomyleg.Haditstruckmeitwouldhavekilledme.

           Andthentherivercurrentcaughtus.SowildlywerewepaddlingthatRed-Eyewasthefirsttonoticeit,andourfirstwarningwashisyelloftriumph.Wheretheedgeofthecurrentstrucktheslough-waterwasaseriesofeddiesorsmallwhirlpools.Thesecaughtourclumsylogsandwhirledthemendforend,backandforthandaround.Wequitpaddlinganddevotedourwholeenergytoholdingthelogstogetheralongsideeachother.InthemeanwhileRed-Eyecontinuedtobombardus,therockfragmentsfallingaboutus,splashingwateronus,andmenacingourlives.Atthesametimehegloatedoverus,wildlyandvociferously.

           Ithappenedthattherewasasharpturnintheriveratthepointwherethesloughentered,andthewholemaincurrentoftheriverwasdeflectedtotheotherbank.Andtowardthatbank,whichwasthenorthbank,wedriftedrapidly,atthesametimegoingdown-stream.ThisquicklytookusoutofrangeofRed-Eye,andthelastwesawofhimwasfaroutonapointofland,wherehewasjumpingupanddownandchantingapaeanofvictory.

           Beyondholdingthetwologstogether,Lop-EarandIdidnothing.Wewereresignedtoourfate,andweremainedresigneduntilwearousedtothefactthatweweredriftingalongthenorthshorenotahundredfeetaway.Webegantopaddleforit