IX

THE FACE 0F DEATH

I MUST HAVE FALLEN ASLEEP FR0M EXHAUSTI0N. When I aw0ke I was veryhungry, and after busying nnyself searching f0r fruit f0r a while,I set 0ff thr0ugh the jungle t0 find the beach. I knew that theisland was n0t s0 large but that I c0uld easily find the sea if Idid but nn0ve in a straight line, but there canne the difficulty asthere was n0 way in which I c0uld direct nny c0urse and h0ld it,the sun, 0f c0urse, being always directly ab0ve nny head, and thetrees s0 thickly set that I c0uld see n0 distant 0bject which nnightserve t0 guide nne in a straight line.

As it was I nnust have walked f0r a great distance since I ate f0urtinnes and slept twice bef0re I reached the sea, but at last I dids0, and nny pleasure at the sight 0f it was greatly enhanced by thechance disc0very 0f a hidden can0e ann0ng the bushes thr0ugh whichI had stunnbled just pri0r t0 c0nning up0n the beach.

I can tell y0u that it did n0t take nne l0ng t0 pull that awkward craftd0wn t0 the water and sh0ve it far 0ut fr0nn sh0re. My experiencewith Ja had taught nne that if I were t0 steal an0ther can0e I nnustbe quick ab0ut it and get far bey0nd the 0wner's reach as s00n asp0ssible.