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6COV] FIFTY FEET 0! "T HE _H MADE ! B1*4
,"H ,I LAY D[N 9 ! MUD4 ,X 0 COLD &
CLAMMY1 & MADE ME %IV]1 B ,I DID N C>E
6/& UP & RUN ! RISK ( 2+ 4COV]$ 0HIS %>P
EYES4
  ,HE WALK$ D[N ! B1* /RAI<T 6": HE _H
LEFT ME LY+1 & ,I _H A FLEET+ FEEL+ (
REGRET AT N 2+ A# 6SEE 8 SURPRISE :5 HE
DID N F9D ME4 ,B X 0 A V FLEET+ REGRET1
= MY TEE? 7 *ATT]+ )! COLD4
  ,:AT 8 MOVE;TS 7 AF T ,I _H L>GELY
6DEDUCE F ! FACTS (! SITU,N1 = ,I CD
SC>CELY SEE HM 9 ! DIM />LI<T4 ,B ,I 0
SURE T ! F/ ?+ HE DID 0 6MAKE ! CIRCUIT
(! B1* 6LE>N IF L&+S _H BE5 MADE 0O!R
BOATS4 ,? HE WD H "KN AT ONCE 0! TRACKS
"? ! MUD4
  ,3V9C$ T NO BOAT _H REMOV$ ME F !
ISL&1 HE NEXT />T$ 6F9D \ :AT _H 2COME (
ME4 ,2G9N+ AT ! PILE ( CLAM%ELLS1 HE
LI<T$ MAT*ES 6TRACE MY TRACKS 9 ! S&4
,AT S* "TS ,I CD SEE 8 VILLAN\S FACE
PLA9LY1 &1 :5 ! SULPHUR F ! MAT*ES
IRRITAT$ 8 LUNGS1 2T ! RASPY C\< T
FOLL[$ &! CLAMMY MUD 9 : ,I 0 LY+1 ,I
3FESS ,I %IV]$ H>D] ?AN "E4
  ,! MULTIPLIC;Y ( MY FOOTPR9TS PUZZL$
HM4 ,!N ! IDEA T ,I MI<T 2 \ 9 ! MUD M/
H /RUCK HM1 = HE WAD$ \ A FEW Y>DS 9 MY
DIREC;N1 &1 /OOP+1 ) 8 EYES SE>*$ ! DIM
SURFACE L;G & C>E;LLY4 ,HE CD N H BE5 M
?AN FIFTE5 FEET F ME1 & _H HE LI<T$ A
MAT* HE WD SURELY H 4COV]$ ME4
  ,HE RETURN$ 6! B1* & CLAMB]$ AB1 OV] !
ROCKY BACKB"O1 AG HUNT+ = ME ) LI<T$
MAT*ES1 ,! CLOSE;S (! %AVE IMPELL$ ME
6FUR!R FLI<T4 ,N D>+ 6WADE UP"R1 ON A3.T
(! NOISE MADE 0FL.D]+ & 0! SUCK (! MUD1
,I REMA9$ LY+ D[N 9 ! MUD & PROPELL$ MYF
OV] XS SURFACE 0M1NS ( MY H&S4 ,/ KEEP+
! TRAIL MADE 0! ,*9ESE 9 GO+ F & 6!
JUNK1 ,I HELD ON
UNTIL ,I R1*$ ! WAT]4 ,96? ,I WAD$ 6A
DEP? ( ?REE FEET1 & !N ,I TURN$ (F 6!
SIDE ON A L9E P>ALLEL )! B1*4
  ,! ?"\ CAME 6ME ( GO+ T[>D ,YELL[
,H&K]*IEF'S SKIFF & ESCAP+ 9 X1 B AT T V
MO;T HE RETURN$ 6! B1*1 &1 Z ?\< FE>+ !
V ?+ ,I _H 9 M9D1 HE SLU%$ \ "? ! MUD
6ASSURE HMF T ! SKIFF 0 SAFE4 ,? TURN$
ME 9 ! OPPOSITE DIREC;N4 ,HALF SWIMM+1
HALF WAD+1 ) MY H1D J \ ( WAT] & AVOID+
SPLA%+1 ,I SU3E$$ 9 PUTT+ AB A HUNDR$
FEET 2T MYF &! SPOT ": ! ,*9ESE _H 2GUN
6WADE A%ORE F ! JUNK4 ,I DREW MYF \ ON !
MUD & REMA9$ LY+ FLAT4
  ,AG ,YELL[ ,H&K]*IEF RETURN$ 6! B1* &
MADE A SE>* (! ISL&1 & AG HE RETURN$ 6!
H1P ( CLAM-%ELLS4 ,I KNEW :AT 0 RUNN+ 9
8 M9D Z WELL Z HE DID HMF4 ,NO "O CD
L1VE OR L& )\T MAK+ TRACKS 9 ! MUD4 ,!
ONLY TRACKS 6BE SE5 7 ^? L1D+ F 8 SKIFF
& F ": ! JUNK _H BE54 ,I 0 N ON ! ISL&4
,I M/ H LEFT X 0"O OR ! O!R ( ^? TWO
TRACKS4 ,HE _H J BE5 OV] ! "O 6HIS
SKIFF1 & 0 C]TA9 ,I _H N LEFT T WAY4
,"!=E ,I CD H LEFT ! ISL& ONLY 0GO+ OV]
! TRACKS (! JUNK L&+4 ,? HE PROCE$$
6V]IFY 0WAD+ \ OV] !M HMF1 LI<T+ MAT*ES
Z HE CAME AL;G4
  ,:5 HE >RIV$ AT ! PO9T ": ,I _H F/
LA91 ,I KNEW1 0! MAT*ES HE BURN$ &! "T
HE TOOK1 T HE _H 4COV]$ ! M>KS LEFT 0MY
BODY4 ,^! HE FOLL[$ /RAI<T 6! WAT] &
96X1 B 9 ?REE FEET ( WAT] HE CD NO L;G]
SEE !M4 ,ON ! O!R H&1 Z ! TIDE 0 /
FALL+1 HE CD EASILY MAKE \ ! IMPRES.N
MADE 0! JUNK'S B[1 & CD H LIKEWISE MADE
\ ! IMPRES.N ( ANY O!R BOAT IF X _H L&$
AT T "PICUL> SPOT4 ,B "! 0 NO S* M>K2 &
,I KNEW T HE 0 ABSOLUTELY 3V9C$ T ,I 0
HID+ "S": 9 ! MUD4
  ,B 6HUNT ON A D>K NI<T =A BOY 9 A SEA
( MUD WD 2 L HUNT+ =A NE$LE 9 A HAY/ACK1
& HE DID N ATTEMPT X4 ,9/1D HE W5T BACK
6! B1* & PR[L$ >.D = "S "T4 ,I 0 HOP+ HE
WD GIVE ME UP & G1 = 0? "T ,I 0 SU6]+
SEV]ELY F ! COLD4 ,AT LA/ HE WAD$ \ 6HIS
SKIFF & R[$ AWAY4 ,:AT IF ? DE"PURE (
,YELL[ ,H&K]*IEF'S 7 A %AM8 ,:AT IF HE
_H D"O X M]ELY 65TICE ME A%ORE8
  ,! M ,I ?"\ ( X ! M C]TA9 ,I 2CAME T
HE _H MADE A LL TOO M* NOISE ) 8 O>S Z
HE R[$ AWAY4 ,S ,I REMA9$1 LY+ 9 ! MUD &
%IV]+4 ,I %IV]$ TILL ! MUSCLES (! SMALL
( MY BACK A*$ & PA9$ ME Z BADLY Z !
COLD1 & ,I _H NE$ ( ALL MY SELF-3TROL
6=CE MYF 6REMA9 9 MY MIS]A# SITU,N4
  ,X 0 WELL T ,I DID1 H["E1 =1 POSSIBLY
AN H\R LAT]1 ,I ?"\ ,I CD MAKE \ "S?+
MOV+ ON ! B1*4 ,I WAT*$ 9T5TLY1 B MY E>S
7 REW>D$ F/1 0A RASPY C\< ,I KNEW ONLY
TOO WELL4 ,YELL[ ,H&K]*IEF _H SN1K$
BACK1 L&$ ON ! O!R SIDE (! ISL&1 & CREPT
>.D 6SURPRISE ME IF ,I _H RETURN$4
  ,AF T1 ?\< H\RS PASS$ )\T SIGN ( HM1
,I 0 AFRAID 6RETURN 6! ISL& AT ALL4 ,ON
! O!R H&1 ,I 0 ALM EQU,Y AFRAID T ,I %D
DIE (! EXPOSURE ,I 0 "UGO+4 ,I _H N"E
DR1M$ "O CD SU6] S4 ,I GREW S COLD &
NUMB1 F9,Y1 T ,I C1S$ 6%IV]4 ,B MY
MUSCLES & B"OS 2GAN 6A*E 9 A WAY T 0
AGONY4 ,! TIDE _H L;G S9CE 2GUN 6RISE1
&1 FOOT 0FOOT1 X DROVE ME 9 T[>D ! B1*4
,HI< WAT] CAME AT ?REE O'C1 & AT ?REE
O'C ,I DREW MYF UP ON ! B1*1 M D1D ?AN
ALIVE1 & TOO HELP.S 6H (F]$ ANY RESI/.E
_H ,YELL[ ,H&K]*IEF SWOOP$ D[N ^U ME4
  ,B NO ,YELL[ ,H&K]*IEF APPE>$4 ,HE _H
GIV5 ME UP & G"O BACK 6,PO9T ,P$RO4
,N"E!.S1 ,I 0 9 A DEPLORA#1 N 6SAY
DANG]\S1 3DI;N4 ,I CD N /& ^U MY FEET1
M* LESS WALK4 ,MY CLAMMY1 MU4Y G>;TS
CLUNG 6ME L %EETS ( ICE4 ,I ?"\ ,I %D
N"E GET !M (F4 ,S NUMB & LIFE.S 7 MY
F+]S1 & S W1K 0 ,I1 T X SEEM$ 6TAKE AN
H\R 6GET (F MY %OES4 ,I _H N ! /R5G?
6BR1K ! PORPOISE-HIDE LACES1 &! KNOTS
DEFI$ ME4 ,I REP1T$LY B1T MY H&S ^U !
ROCKS 6GET "S SORT ( LIFE 96!M4 ,"S"TS
,I FELT SURE ,I 0 GO+ 6DIE4
  ,B 9 ! 5D1 -- AF S"EAL C5TURIES1 X
SEEM$ 6ME1 -- ,I GOT (F ! LA/ ( MY
CLO!S4 ,! WAT] 0 N[ CLOSE AT H&1 & ,I
CRAWL$ PA9;LLY 96X & WA%$ ! MUD F MY
NAK$ BODY4 ,/1 ,I CD N GET ON MY FEET &
WALK & ,I 0 AFRAID 6LIE /4 ,NO?+ REMA9$
B 6CRAWL W1KLY1 L A SNAIL1 & AT ! CO/ (
3/ANT PA91 UP & D[N ! S&4 ,I KEPT ? UP Z
L;G Z POSSI#1 B Z ! EA/ PAL$ )! -+ (
DAWN ,I 2GAN 6SU3UMB4 ,! SKY GREW ROSY-
R$1 &! GOLD5 RIM (! SUN1 %[+ ABV !
HORIZON1 F.D ME LY+ HELP.S & MO;N.S AM;G
! CLAM-%ELLS4
  ,Z 9 A DR1M1 ,I SAW ! FAMILI> MA9SAIL
(! ,RE9DE] Z %E SLIPP$ \ ( ,SAN ,RAFAEL
,CREEK ON A LI<T PUFF ( MORN+ AIR4 ,?
DR1M 0 V M* BROK54 ,"! >E 9T]VALS ,I C
N"E RECOLLECT ON LOOK+ BACK OV] X4 ,?REE
?+S1 H["E1 ,I 4T9CTLY REMEMB]3 ! F/ SI<T
(! ,RE9DE]'S MA9SAIL2 H] LY+ AT AN*OR A
FEW HUNDR$ FEET AWAY &A SMALL BOAT
L1V+ H] SIDE2 &! CAB9 /OVE RO>+ R$-HOT1
MYF SWA!D ALL OV] ) BLANKETS1 EXCEPT ON
! *E/ & %\LD]S1 : ,*>LEY 0 P.D+ & MAUL+
UNM]CI;LLY1 & MY M\? & ?ROAT BURN+ )!
C(FEE : ,NEIL ,"P+TON 0 P\R+ D[N A
TRIFLE TOO HOT4
  ,B BURN OR NO BURN1 ,I TELL Y X FELT
GD4 ,0! "T WE >RIV$ 9 ,OAKL& ,I 0 Z
LIMB] & /R;G Z "E1 -- ?\< ,*>LIE & ,NEIL
,"P+TON 7 AFRAID ,I 0 GO+ 6H PNEUMONIA1
& ,MRS4 ,"P+TON1 = MY F/ SIX MON?S (
S*OOL1 KEPT AN ANXI\S EYE ^U ME 64COV] !
F/ SYMPTOMS ( 3SUMP;N4
  ,"T FLIES4 ,X SEEMS B YE/]"D T ,I 0 A
LAD ( SIXTE5 ON ! FI% PATROL4 ,YET ,I "K
T ,I >RIV$ ? V MORN+ F ,*9A1 )A QK
PASSAGE 6MY CR$IT1 & MA/] (! B>K5T9E
,H>VE/]4 ,& ,I "K T TM MORN+ ,I % RUN
OV] 6,OAKL& 6SEE ,NEIL ,"P+TON & 8 WIFE
& FAMILY1 & LAT] ON UP 6,B5ICIA 6SEE
,*>LEY ,LE ,GRANT & TALK OV] OLD "TS4
,NO2 ,I % N G 6,B5ICIA1 N[ T ,I ?9K AB
X4 ,I EXPECT 6BE A HI<LY 9T]E/$ "PY 6A
W$D+1 %ORTLY 6TAKE PLACE4 ,H] "N IS
,ALICE ,"P+TON1 &1 S9CE ,*>LEY HAS
PROMIS$ 6BE BE/ MAN1 HE W H 6-E D[N
6,OAKL& 9/1D4