ps became noisy with the rustle and crash of dead leaves. The
jungle was full of moonlight; twigs, branches, creepers, grass-clumps
came out acutely vivid. The trees and bushes stood in pools of darkness,
and beyond were pale stretches of misty moonshine and big rocks shining
with an unearthly lustre. Things seemed to be clear and yet uncertain.
It was as if they dissolved or retired a little and then returned to
solidity.

A sudden chattering broke out overhead, and black across the great
stars soared a flying squirrel and caught a twig, and ran for shelter.
A second hesitated in a tree-top and pursued. They chased each other and
vanished abruptly. He forgot his sense of insecurity in the interest of
these active little silhouettes. And he noted how much bigger and more
wonderful the stars can look when one sees them through interlacing
branches.

Ahead was darkness; but not so dark when he came to it that the track
was invisible. He was at the limit of his intention, but now he saw that
that had been a childish project. He would go on, he would walk right
into the jungle. His first disinclination was conquered, and the soft
intoxication of the subtropical moonshine was in his blood.... But he
wished he could walk as a spirit walks, without this noise of leaves....

Yes, this was very wonderful and beautiful, and there must always be
jungles for men to walk in. Always there must be jungles....

Some small beast snarled and bolted from under his feet. He stopped
sharply. He had come into a darkness under great boughs, and now he
stood still as the little creature scuttled away. Beyond the track
emerged into a dazzling whiteness....

In the stillness he could hear the deer belling again in the distance,
and then came a fuss of monkeys in a group of trees near at hand. He
remained still until this had died away into mutterings.

Then on the verge of movement he was startled by a ripe mango that
slipped from its stalk and fell out of the tree and struck his hand.
It took a little time to understand that, and then he laughed, and his
muscles relaxed, and he went on again.

A thorn caught at him and he disentangled himself.

He crossed the open space, and the moon was like a great shield of light
spread out above him. All the world seemed swimming in its radiance. The
stars were like lamps in a mist of silvery blue.

The track led him on across white open spaces of shrivelled grass and
sand, amidst trees where shad