ay. Hugging each other like twining
water snakes, we sank down through the reeds to the slimy ooze of the
bottom.

Down there we wrestled for a second, blinded and choking. Then
self-love conquered hate, and we kicked ourselves free and spluttered
to the surface. My shoulder was stinging, and I could not tell how
long I could depend on it. I made a desperate stroke or two, dived,
and put myself in the cover of the reeds.

The Indian splashed after me, but the water flowed through the reeds in
a dozen channels, and he took the wrong one. He would find his mistake
in a moment. I swam a few paces under water, then lay quiet, holding
myself up by the reeds, and keeping my mouth to the air. Piece by
piece I freed myself of my clothing and let it drop. The cut in my
shoulder was raw and made me faint. It was not dangerous, but deep
enough to give me trouble, and would make my swimming slow, if, indeed,
I could swim at all. I felt the water swash against me and knew the
Indian was swimming back. There was only a thin wall of reeds between
us, and in a moment he would come to where the channels joined and see
my floating garments. I could not stop to secure them, though I had
hoped to tie them in a bundle on my back. I dropped under the water
and swam away.

I have often marveled how I distanced that Indian so easily. It may
have been his discomfort from the opiate, though I have never known how
much of what I splashed over him went into his mouth, nor what effect
it had. But after a little I heard no sound of pursuit. I thought
that perhaps the Indian had gone back to spread the alarm, and I took
no risks. I swam as fast as I had strength, resting occasionally by
holding on to the reeds, and trying to keep my course due northwest.

And hour by hour passed, and still I kept on swimming. It was torture
after the first. I could rest as often as I needed, but the cold water
palsied me, and I feared cramp. My shoulder was feverish, and the pain
of it sapped my strength. Occasionally I found a log tangled in the
reeds, and I pulled myself up on it into the sun. If I had not been
able to do that I could not have gone on.

With chill and fever and pain I had light-headed intervals. These came
as the afternoon waned, and while they lasted I thought that the woman
was in the Seneca camp, and that I must get back to her. Then I would
turn and swim with the current, losing in a few minutes as much as I
had ga