the night noises
of the woods and swamps.

At midnight I carried my raft down to the edge of the water, then
leaving it there for use in case of a repulse, with my ironwood stick in
my left hand and my revolver in the right, I marched down to the bridge,
but fearing my upright figure might be seen, dark as it was, outlined
against the sky, I stooped and crawled along the stringpiece of timber
until within twenty feet of the large house at the end of the bridge.
Peering through the gloom I listened, but could not see or hear any
movement. Straightening myself up I took half a dozen paces, when, in
the stillness, I heard a sharp crackle that turned me to stone as the
flame of a wax match revealed two soldiers sitting on a bench within the
porch of the guardhouse not ten feet away. One had struck the match to
light a cigarette. The flame that betrayed them to me showed to them my
form outlined on the bridge.

There was a sudden exclamation, a hail, "Quien va!" then a sudden and
thrilling rattle of accoutrements, but I had turned and was flying back
across the bridge. Suddenly a rifle shot rang out sharply on the night;
a second followed, but I was unharmed. In ten seconds I was beside my
little raft, and, pushing it before me, waded out in the shallow water.
When up to my knees I halted, unstrapped my revolvers and placed them on
the raft. Then pulling off my shoes I put them and my load on the raft,
fastening all with a string put there for the purpose. Sticking my knife
through the lapel of my coat and resting my chin on the raft I began to
swim, keeping well out, so as to go outside the long wharf.

In the mean time everything was in commotion ashore. Two more shots were
fired, and flashes of the guns proved that a squad had turned out and
had crossed the bridge in hot pursuit. Then I blessed the wise
forethought that had led me to construct the raft. Certainly it had
saved me, for they would surely search the jungle.

During the fearful excitement I had forgotten all about the sharks. In
the darkness I had given all my attention to trying to get a glimpse of
the wharf. Suddenly, near me in the calm and awful stillness, there
sprang out of the dark waters a large fish which fell back with a
splash.

My heart stood still and my blood seemed to freeze, for to my horror I
fancied I saw the black fins of numberless sharks cutting the water. I
saw myself dragged down into the awful depths and torn limb from limb,
by t