' An Introduction to a Biology 



berth. This was a terrifying thought. I shuddered to 

 iniagine what might happen if the old man woke up and 

 put his hand on the clammy thing. To make quite sure, I 

 argued to myself in this way. If the toad really is in his 

 bed it is reasonable to suppose that when the human occupant 

 of it moves he will touch or disturb the toad and make him 

 croak. So I leant over the edge of my berth and waited 

 for my man to move. He presently rolled over and grunted 

 in his sleep — an event that was immediately followed by a 

 croak from the toad. And again ; the sound of the moving 

 followed by the croak. This was past bearing. I lay back 

 in helplessness and waited. The two events occurred to- 

 gether again. I was reduced to such a condition of terror 

 that I imagined that the reason for which the toad (whose 

 native haunt was a warm volcanic stream) had left his retreat 

 under the step, which was very dusty and dry, was to obtain 

 access to the only source of moisture, the only oasis in the 

 cabin — my companion's mouth. In fact, it was only on the 

 assumption that the toad's mouth was pressed to my com- 

 panion's lips that the immediateness of the response by 

 croaking to the movement on the part of my friend could 

 be accounted for. I had only to hear the sequence of grunt 

 and croak again to be convinced that this was the case. 

 When it did happen that time I leapt out of my berth, turned 

 on the light, and looked into my companion's berth. No 

 toad was to be seen. I had no doubt that it had escaped 

 under the clothes when the light was switched on. But I 

 did not dare to lift up the clothes ever so little, or even touch 

 them, for I had sufficient sense left to realise that if my 

 friend woke while I was doing so he would have some difli- 

 culty in understanding my action if I refused, as I certainly 

 should have done, to offer an explanation. He did, as a 

 matter of fact, wake while I was looking at him, and remarked 

 in a sleepy voice that I seemed rather restless. I admitted 

 that there was truth in what he said, and clambered up into 

 my berth. The movement followed by the croak happened 



