ll whisper that something had come among the clump of trees upon
the left-hand bank. Of the truth of this, I had immediately a proof; for
I caught the sound of a continuous rustling among them, and then a nearer
note of growling, as though a wild beast purred at my elbow. Immediately
upon this, I caught the bo'sun's voice, calling in a low tone to Josh,
the eldest 'prentice, who had the charge of our boat, to come alongside
of him; for he would have the boats together. Then got we out the oars
and laid the boats together in the midst of the creek; and so we watched
through the night, being full of fear, so that we kept our speech low;
that is, so low as would carry our thoughts one to the other through the
noise of the growling.

And so the hours passed, and naught happened more than I have told, save
that once, a little after midnight, the trees opposite to us seemed to be
stirred again, as though some creature, or creatures, lurked among them;
and there came, a little after that, a sound as of something stirring the
water up against the bank; but it ceased in a while and the silence fell
once more.

Thus, after a weariful time, away Eastwards the sky began to tell of the
coming of the day; and, as the light grew and strengthened, so did that
insatiable growling pass hence with the dark and the shadows. And so at
last came the day, and once more there was borne to us the sad wailing
that had preceded the night. For a certain while it lasted, rising and
falling most mournfully over the vastness of the surrounding wastes,
until the sun was risen some degrees above the horizon; after which it
began to fail, dying away in lingering echoes, most solemn to our ears.
And so it passed, and there came again the silence that had been with us
in all the daylight hours.

Now, it being day, the bo'sun bade us make such sparse breakfast as our
provender allowed; after which, having first scanned the banks to
discern if any fearful thing were visible, we took again to our oars,
and proceeded on our upward journey; for we hoped presently to come upon
a country where life had not become extinct, and where we could put foot
to honest earth. Yet, as I have made mention earlier, the vegetation,
where it grew, did flourish most luxuriantly; so that I am scarce
correct when I speak of life as being extinct in that land. For, indeed,
now I think of it, I can remember that the very mud from which it sprang
seemed veritably to have a fat, sl