Ancient Giants 141 



ground below was carpeted with flowers in end- 

 less, variety and hue: there a clump of ever- 

 greens, and here one of poplars, while in the dis- 

 tance figs, magnolias and a wealth of other trees 

 added beauty and variety to the redwood forest. 



Inshore the fertile zone between low and high 

 tide swarmed with oysters, clams and mussels. 

 They covered every available inch of space in the 

 caves and crannies carved out of the ledge of 

 sandstone along the beach by the ceaseless ebb 

 and flow of the sea, or when the waves were 

 driven by the tempest's lash. As I had gone 

 without supper the night before, I felt very 

 hungry. Rapidly descending my tree I ran to 

 the beach and gathered handsfuU of the luscious 

 shells, dripping with salt water. With steel 

 digger used in collecting fossils I opened enough 

 to appease a ravenous appetite. 



The jungles behind seemed impenetrable, so I 

 walked to the edge of the bayou, which emptied 

 into the sea nearby. It was thickly planted with 

 moss and rushes: but for the fact that there 

 were logs everywhere, lying at all angles in the 

 morass I could not have gotten to the water. By 

 teetering across the yielding moss, and resting 

 on the half-submerged logs, I reached the sullen 

 stream. I soon concluded that I must construct 

 a boat, in order to explore the wonderful ever- 

 glades. From the log I had a flue view of the 

 bayou that wound its way through moss and 

 swamp grass several feet high. The bayou ex- 



