(gfon* )m$ a 



fallen-tree bridge, I started to wade across in a 

 wide place that I supposed to be shallow. Mid- 

 way and hip-deep in the swift water, I struck 

 the injured foot against a boulder, momentarily 

 flinching, and the current swirled me off my feet. 

 After much struggling and battling with the tur- 

 bulent waters, I succeeded in reaching the oppo- 

 site shore. This immersion did not make me 

 any wetter than I was or than I had been for 

 hours, but the water chilled me; so I hurried 

 forward as rapidly as possible to warm up. 



After a few steps the injured leg suddenly 

 became helpless, and I tumbled down in the 

 snow. Unable to revive the leg promptly and 

 being very cold from my icy-water experience, 

 I endeavored to start a fire. Everything was 

 soaked and snow-covered ; the snow was falling 

 and the trees dripping water; I groped about on 

 my hands and one knee, dragging the paralyzed 

 leg ; all these disadvantages, along with chatter- 

 ing teeth and numb fingers, made my fire-start- 

 ing attempts a series of failures. 



That night of raw, primitive life is worse in 

 retrospect than was the real one. Still I was 



241 



