📸 Photo

that day, but the rain slowed me down anyway. Tomorrow the weather would surely be more benign, and I would hurry on.

I crossed back to the camp. Thunder clapped, and lightning lit up the sky. The wind came up. It was going to be a terrible storm. I hurriedly set about reinforcing the remains of the camp. I replaced the vines with fresh ones and went into the jungle to look for palm fronds. It had already started raining. I had never seen such a downpour. The drops came down with a sharp sting. I tore off about twenty fronds. The effort wore me out, but I didn't give up. I arranged the fronds so that they were closely overlapping one another across the poles. I covered every crack through which the rain might seep. I knew that it would take a thick layer to keep the wet out. The jungle outside was well flooded over, as if the end of the world were approaching. From a distance the Tuichi looked turbulent and gloomy.

I hurried into my shelter. Water leaked through in several places, but I didn't dare go back outside. I tried to rearrange the fronds from inside. I got out my night time necessities: the rice-and-bean pillow, the rubber sack to cover my feet, the nets to use as blankets, and the poncho to wrap around everything else. I took off my shoes and wrung out my socks. Up until now I had managed to keep my feet in fair condition. I had only one more day to go. I prayed that they wouldn't let me down now.