hed
through the brain, each in turn fading away into another, before I was
fully aware of its meaning. Occasionally some far-off noise aroused me
from lethargy, yet none of these could be identified, except once the
mournful cry of a wild animal far away to the right; while twice we
were tossed about in whirlpools, my grip nearly dislodged before the
mad water swept us again into the sturdy current. I think we must have
drifted close in toward the western shore, for once I imagined I could
vaguely distinguish the tops of trees outlined against the slightly
lighter sky. Yet this vision was so fleeting, I dare not loosen my
hold upon the boat to swim in that direction; and, even as I gazed in
uncertainty, the dim outline vanished as though it had been a dream,
and we were again being forced outward into the swirling waters.

Suddenly the wrecked boat's bow grated against something immovable;
then became fixed, the stern swinging slowly about, until it also
caught, and I could feel the full volume of down-pouring water pressing
against my body. It struck with such force I was barely able to work
my way forward along the side of the half-submerged craft in an effort
to ascertain what it was blocking our progress. Yet a moment later,
even in that darkness, and obliged to rely entirely upon the sense of
touch, the truth of my situation became clear. The blindly floating
boat had drifted upon a snag, seemingly the major portion of a tree,
now held by some spit of sand. I struggled vainly in an attempt to
release the grip which, held us, but the force of the current had
securely wedged the boat's bow beneath a limb, a bare, leafless
tentacle, making all my efforts useless. The ceaseless water rippled
about me, the only sound in the silent night, and despairing of any
escape, I found a submerged branch on which to stand, gripped the boat
desperately to prevent being swept away, and waited for the dawn.

It seemed a long while coming, and never did man gaze on a more dismal,
ghastly scene than was revealed to me by those first gray gleams dimly
showing in the far east. All about stretched utter desolation;
wherever my eyes turned, the vista was the same--a wide stretch of
restless, brown water surging and leaping past, bounded by low-lying
shores, forlorn and deserted. There was no smoke, no evidence of life
anywhere visible, no sign of habitation; all was wilderness. The snag
on which I rested was nearly in the cente