Marsh. 2 1 1 



whilst daylight lasted, but at sunset a faint mist came on, 

 and increased slightly until everything seemed dim, indis- 

 tinct, and uncertain in the twilight. For a time all went on 

 successfully. Then each of my companions, in negotiating 

 hurdles over the ditches, had in turn found a leg disappear- 

 ing in the murky depths below, and had pulled the said leg 

 from its moist surroundings, rather the worse as regards 

 colour and smell. When these catastrophes happened to my 

 friends, I, forgetful of the good old adage, " Do not holloa 

 until you are out of the wood," had smiled smiled, not be- 

 cause I rejoiced at their misfortune, nor with hilarity or 

 vulgarity, but with just the ghost of a smile, the reflection 

 of an inner consciousness of satisfaction that I as yet had 

 escaped. At present I had not a wet leg and my companions 

 had, and I felt thankful that, if Fate had decreed that two 

 of us should be wet and dirty, it was they and not I who had 

 been unfortunate. Not that I had reached the stage of 

 selfishness. Oh, no ! I pitied them, I was sorry for them, 

 but still I was pleased with myself. Then we came to a 

 broad ditch ; the green, slimy Lemna and other pond weeds 

 covered that ditch with an alluring carpet ; a narrow plank 

 spanned it ; by the side of the plank was a stout pole, some 

 seven feet in length, with one end driven deep into the slimy 

 ooze. This pole worked, as it were, in the arc of a circle. 

 Catching hold of it with the right hand, pressing it firmly 

 into its muddy bottom, and keeping it quite close to the 

 plank, it becomes a wonderfully useful adjunct in the tight- 

 rope performance of crossing. I understand the mechanism 

 of this pole now, but I did not then. Our guide went first. 

 Grasping the pole firmly with his right hand, his arm went 

 through the segment of a circle, as with three or four rapid 



