He had come several miles, and realized that he could
not retrace his steps, for the trail had branched many times; he
had crossed other pathways and made many devours. He rejoiced in
the thought that he had successfully lost himself.
At midday he paused in an open glade against a hillside to eat his
lunch. Back of him the rising ground was heavily timbered; beneath
him a confusion of thickets and groves and cleared fields led out
to a green plain as clean as any golf links, upon which were
scattered dwellings.
Evidently this was the Savannas of which he had heard so much, and
these foreign-looking bungalows were the country homes of the rich
Panamanians. Beyond, the bay stretched, in unruffled calm, like a
sheet of quicksilver, its bosom dotted with rocky islets, while
hidden in the haze to the southward, as he knew, were the historic
Pearl Islands, where the early Spaniards had enriched themselves.
Gazing at this view in lazy enjoyment, Kirk found himself thinking
how good it was to be young and free, and to be set down in such a
splendidly romantic country. Above all, it was good to be heart-
whole and unfettered by any woman's spell--men in love were
unhappy persons, harassed by a thousand worries and indecisions,
utterly lacking in poise.
Pages:
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221