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 aérial 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 
