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I swallowed an amphetamine. It was the second time I had taken one since the accident. It wasn't long before it took effect, and I sprinted through the jungle as if I had the devil on my tail, assaulting the overgrown trail, breaking through branches, skipping up hills, and hopping over fallen trees. I lost the trail again and stayed stubbornly near the river, always careful to keep it within sight or at least within hearing.

The first animal I met up with this day was a snake, a brown snake about six feet long but not particularly big around. It was slithering through the grass, and I only noticed it when it sped off at my approach. Without a second thought I grabbed a rock and chased after it like crazy, trying to get close enough to have a fair shot. But the snake was faster than I was and disappeared into the underbrush. I was sorry. If I had caught it, it would have been nourishing, even raw. I would have eaten it salted. For the past few days I had eaten only eggs and fruit.

Later I encountered a pair of tapirs, a mother and her young. They were massive, and the earth quaked under their tread. When the poor things noticed me, they ran off in fright.

I didn't actually see the third animal, but I knew it was there. It was before noon. I had emerged from the jungle and found myself standing on a lovely beach, the largest I had come upon since we had left Asriamas. The sand was so white, it was blinding. The river lapped pleasantly at the