of falling
snow, the wind seemed to have gone, and the place was very solemn and
quiet. But Heavens! how the snow fell! It was partly screened by the
branches, but all the same it was piling itself up deep everywhere. My
legs seemed made of lead, my head burned, and there were fiery pains
over all my body. I stumbled on blindly, without a notion of any
direction, determined only to keep going to the last. For I knew that
if I once lay down I would never rise again.

When I was a boy I was fond of fairy tales, and most of the stories I
remembered had been about great German forests and snow and charcoal
burners and woodmen's huts. Once I had longed to see these things, and
now I was fairly in the thick of them. There had been wolves, too, and
I wondered idly if I should fall in with a pack. I felt myself getting
light-headed. I fell repeatedly and laughed sillily every time. Once
I dropped into a hole and lay for some time at the bottom giggling. If
anyone had found me then he would have taken me for a madman.

The twilight of the forest grew dimmer, but I scarcely noticed it.
Evening was falling, and soon it would be night, a night without
morning for me. My body was going on without the direction of my
brain, for my mind was filled with craziness. I was like a drunk man
who keeps running, for he knows that if he stops he will fall, and I
had a sort of bet with myself not to lie down--not at any rate just
yet. If I lay down I should feel the pain in my head worse. Once I had
ridden for five days down country with fever on me and the flat bush
trees had seemed to melt into one big mirage and dance quadrilles
before my eyes. But then I had more or less kept my wits. Now I was
fairly daft, and every minute growing dafter.

Then the trees seemed to stop and I was walking on flat ground. It was
a clearing, and before me twinkled a little light. The change restored
me to consciousness, and suddenly I felt with horrid intensity the fire
in my head and bones and the weakness of my limbs. I longed to sleep,
and I had a notion that a place to sleep was before me. I moved
towards the light and presently saw through a screen of snow the
outline of a cottage.

I had no fear, only an intolerable longing to lie down. Very slowly I
made my way to the door and knocked. My weakness was so great that I
could hardly lift my hand.

There were voices within, and a corner of the curtain was lifted from
the window.