"Not without water we
can trust, and with the local wild life ready to test us for tasty
eating."
Nymani had prowled along the swampward point of their island, and now he
made his report.
"There is more high land to the east. Perhaps it will give us a bridge
across."
At that moment Dane doubted his ability to make any more leaps from
island to island. And it would seem Tau shared his discouragement.
"I don't suppose you could discourage our friends on shore there with a
few more shots?"
Asaki shook his head. "We do not have clips enough to settle a whole
herd. These might retreat from sight but they would be waiting for us in
the bush, and that would mean certain death. We shall have to take the
swamp road."
If Dane had considered their earlier march misery, this was sheer
torture. Since footing was never secure, falls were frequent, and within
a quarter-hour they were all plastered with evil-smelling slime and mud
which hardened to rock consistency when exposed to the air. Painful as
this was, it did protect a portion of their bodies from the insects with
which the swamp was well stocked.
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