Drifting on the Bay, Chapters I-II [pp. 337-347]

THE
OVERLAND MONTHLY.
VoL. XV. (SECOND SERIES.) APRIL, i80o. -No. 88.
DRIFTING ON THE BAY.
. i~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I
. — l B~BOOM! Boom! The hollow reverberating sound
as of distant cannon mingles with my dreams, and
= —_ -~- _ 3i__/ 1 \"._ brings up visions of battle fields, of struggling
______ \\\ and bleeding men, of rushing horses, of nature
-— ____ -______ "__~,~and humanity massed in horrid confusion.
3~ -~= —~. —_'... 3__ xAnd in the midst of this strife I am a cen tral figure; a round me revolves this vivid,
moving tragedy. I am hurrying
__~ —-ih Duketo and fro, performing prodigies
-- f valor, encouraging, planning,
wit Orland, I fiexecuting. The sound of rushing
Then, again,allbwaters, the rustling as of trees
thrills throu ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~, lighm as af mideetriccrent entyswaigmto,apritn
swayed by boisterous winds, the
battle scenes fade away, and I am
in the forest I am with t he Ban ished Duke a nd all h i s train. I
philosophize with Jacques, I sigh
with Orlando, I flirt with Rosalind, for she is a woman and fick le.
Then, again, all becomes confusion, and I am assailed by a variety of novel and
incomprehensible sensations. I am conscious of a continuous swash, swash, that
thrills through me as a mild electric current, a gently swaying motion, a persistent
pattering that increases in intensity, then dies away only to come again; a
splashing noise followed by a strange rubbing, scrubbing sound. Then another
splash, and I feel drops of moisture on my face. I open my eyes, and dreamily
wonder where I am. In the uncertain light I can but imperfectly distinguish my
surroundings. I am lying upon some sort of couch, with the roof close above me,
and about me are ill-defined and unfamiliar shapes. With drowsy indifference I
close my eyes, and refuse the mental effort to realize my situation.
I am certain that I am not upon the field of battle, and that satisfies my indolent
disposition. Nor am I in the Forest of Arden; but this realization is scarcely
VOI,. XV.- 22. (Copyright, I89o, by OVERLAND MONTHLY PUBLISHING CO.) All rights reserved.
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