A FEBRUARY FRESHET 



109 



like a sailor lashed to the rigging, to be taken 

 'off. 



But it was not the multitude of wild things 

 'birds, beasts, insects that fascinated me most, that 

 led me out along the slippery, dangerous bank 

 through the swirling storm ; it was rather the fear 

 and confusion of the animals, the wild giant-spirit 



X 



raging over the face of the earth and sky, daunting 

 and terrifying them, that drew me. 



Many of the small creatures had been wakened 

 by the flood out of their deep winter sleep, and, 

 dazed and numbed and frightened, they seemed to 

 know nothing, to care for nothing but the touch of 

 the solid earth to their feet. 



All of their natural desires and instincts, thei 

 hatreds, hungers, terrors, were sunk beneath th 

 waters. They had lost their wits, like human crea-j 

 tures in a panic, and, struggling, fighting for a foot-l 

 hold, they did not notice me unless I made at themj 

 and then only took to the water a moment to escapes 

 the instant peril. 





