До Адама

           Thistimetheideaoccurredsimultaneouslytous.WeweretryingtoescapeoutoftheFirePeople’sterritory.Whatbetterwaythanbycrossingtheriverontheselogs?Weclimbedonboardandshovedoff.Asuddensomethinggrippedthecatamaranandflungitdownstreamviolentlyagainstthebank.Theabruptstoppagealmostwhippedusoffintothewater.Thecatamaranwastiedtoatreebyaropeoftwistedroots.Thisweuntiedbeforeshovingoffagain.

           Bythetimewehadpaddledwelloutintothecurrent,wehaddriftedsofardownstreamthatwewereinfullviewoftheFirePeople’sabiding-place.Sooccupiedwerewewithourpaddling,oureyesfixedupontheotherbank,thatweknewnothinguntilarousedbyayellfromtheshore.Welookedaround.ThereweretheFirePeople,manyofthem,lookingatusandpointingatus,andmorewerecrawlingoutofthecaves.Wesatuptowatch,andforgotallaboutpaddling.Therewasagreathullabalooontheshore.SomeoftheFire-Mendischargedtheirbowsatus,andafewofthearrowsfellnearus,buttherangewastoogreat.

           ItwasagreatdayforLop-Earandme.Totheeasttheconflagrationwehadstartedwasfillinghalftheskywithsmoke.Andherewewere,perfectlysafeinthemiddleoftheriver,encirclingtheFirePeople’sstronghold.Wesatandlaughedatthemaswedashedby,swingingsouth,andsoutheasttoeast,andeventonortheast,andtheneastagain,southeastandsouthandonaroundtothewest,agreatdoublecurvewheretherivernearlytiedaknotinitself