Let us sleep, and rise with the sun."
But although he spoke confidently, almost contemptuously, he was
possessed with a wild desire to spring to his feet and fight his way out
of this terrible prison. He had seen a huge fish flounder in a net, and
looked on callously. He should never witness such another sight without
a responsive thrill of horror. Were he paralysed from crown to heel he
could not be more helpless in this thicket of needles. The vast
unpeopled desert had been bad enough, but it had been intoxicating
liberty to this. Tired as he was, he moved his hands and feet
constantly; supineness was impossible. He wondered how men felt when in
prison, and vowed that when he held the law in his hands he would invent
some other way of punishment. For his part he would rather be shot at
once.
Being young and healthy, he fell asleep after a time. When he awoke the
sky was grey, the stars had gone. He shook Adan.
"There is no sunrise to be seen from this place," he said, "but I am
sure of the direction now. I took note of that big cactus ahead, last
night--Hist!"
"Dios de mi alma!" whispered Adan, his tongue rolling out. "In this
place! It is worse than earthquake.
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