THE ORIGIN OF THE HAMMOCKS 203 



environment was the dreariest imaginable, the 

 memory of that night at the little hammock is 

 one of my very pleasantest. 



As soon as the trees and shrubs in the embryo 

 hammock begin to bear seed, its growth is greatly 

 accelerated. The open spaces fill. The borders 

 advance. Ordinarily the fires in the pine woods 

 expire at the edge of the hammock, or only burn a 

 little way into the scrubby, more open parts of it. 

 The wood and leaves contain very little resin or 

 other highly inflammable material. But some 

 day during a long, severe drought and when 

 driven by a high wind, the ravening enemy comes 

 rushing through the pine woods resistless. The 

 natural moisture of the hammock is dried out, the 

 leaves are wilted and gasping for water, the dead 

 timber, standing and fallen, is like tinder. The 

 flames rush into the forest almost unchecked, 

 snapping and roaring their battle cry. Noble 

 trees clad in garments of glorious foliage are 

 stripped in a moment and left mere blackened 

 and ruined trunks; all the wonderful decoration of 

 orchids, ferns, bromeUads, and scrambling vines is 

 devoured in the twinkling of an eye. No words 

 can describe the awful wreck; there is in all the 



