266 EDGE OF THE JUNGLE 



were attributes to which I could only aspire, be- 

 ing the prerogatives of superiors. 



These rocks, in particular, seemed of the very 

 essence of earth. Three elements fought over 

 them. The sand and soil from which they lifted 

 their splendid heads sifted down, or was washed 

 up, in vain effort to cover them. More subtly 

 dead tree trunks fell upon them, returned to 

 earth, and strove to encloak them. For six hours 

 at a time the water claimed them, enveloping 

 them slowly in a mantle of quicksilver, or surg- 

 ing over with rough waves. Algal spores took 

 hold, desmids and diatoms swam in and settled 

 down, little fish wandered in and out of the crev- 

 ices, while large ones nosed at the entrances. 



Then Mother Earth turned slowly onward; 

 the moon, reaching down, beckoned with invisible 

 fingers, and the air again entered this no man's 

 land. Breezes whispered where a few moments 

 before ripples had lapped; with the sun as ally, 

 the last remaining pool vanished and there began 

 the hours of aerial dominion. The most envied 

 character of our lesser brethren is their faith. 

 'No matter how many hundreds of thousands of 

 tides had ebbed and flowed, yet to-day every 



