10 EDGE OF THE JUNGLE 



solid jungle, with only Kalacoon and the 

 Penal Settlement as tiny breaks in the wall of 

 green. 



The tide was falling, and as I sat watching 

 the light grow dim, the water receded slowly, 

 and strange little things floated past down- 

 stream. And I thought of the no less real hu- 

 man tide which long years ago had flowed to my 

 very feet and then ebbed, leaving, as drift is left 

 upon the sand, the convicts, a few scattered In- 

 dians, and myself. In the peace and quiet of 

 this evening, time seemed a thing of no especial 

 account. The great jungle trees might always 

 have been lifeless emerald water-barriers, rather 

 than things of a few centuries' growth ; the ripple- 

 less water bore with equal disregard the last mora 

 seed which floated past, as it had held aloft the 

 keel of an unknown Spanish ship three centuries 

 before. These men came up-river and landed on 

 a little island a few hundred yards from Kartabo. 

 Here they built a low stone wall, lost a few but- 

 tons, coins, and bullets, and vanished. Then 

 came the Dutch in sturdy ships, cleared the islet 

 of everything except the Spanish wall, and built 

 them a jolly little fort intended to command all 



