h the speed of the wind. The goal had all but been
attained when the cataclysm struck. A wall of water, four feet high and
crested with foam came rushing down the river bed with incredible
swiftness, engulfing everything within its reach. The sandbar with its
varied population was submerged in a flash and as the air imprisoned in
the wide cracks and crevices of the sun-baked surface rushed up toward
freedom, the water seethed and boiled like the contents of a gigantic
cauldron.

Completely overwhelmed by the first wave, Suma struggled frantically to
regain her foothold and finding this impossible followed the path of
least resistance and struck out boldly with the current until the water
drained from her eyes and she could discern the bank which had been her
objective. By varying her course slightly toward that side nearest the
land she made fair progress and soon reached a point where the water was
shallow and wearily dragged herself ashore. Pausing only long enough to
shake the glistening drops from her shivering body she began the long
journey westward for at last Suma was forced, reluctantly, to admit the
truth. Days before, she had sensed the coming of the melancholy weeks of
endless downpours with the attendant saturated earth; but the warning
had gone unheeded. Now, when it was all but too late it served as a
stimulus to redoubled effort; for the rains had started in the foothills
and would soon extend their sway to the lower country.

Daylight found the journey well under way, with vast stretches of swamp
and forest and plain to be traversed. Before her lay the wild
pantenales, vast wastes of land and water. The inhabitants of these
dismal places too felt the coming of the change for, between the sky,
now overcast and angry for the first time in days, and the earth,
seemingly waiting in sullen acquiescence to the dictates of a higher
power, flecks of black soared in stately circles, or whirled in erratic
courses, that were either manifestations of abject surrender to the
inevitable, or else a show of frenzied despair, one could not tell
which. The soaring flecks of black were flocks of graceful ibises
sailing hour after hour on tireless wings and indistinguishable from
vultures save for the long, outstretched necks and legs; for, outlined
against the grayish heavens all the winged creatures appeared dark, no
matter what their color. The whirling swarms were hordes of cormorants,
herons, terns and skimmers defyi