Off to my right, closer to the walkway than I would have preferred, a pair of round yellow eyes revealed a larger danger. The gleaming pair lifted out of the muck, followed by a long snout and a protruding set of nostrils. I saw nothing else of the alligator, but from the size of its head it must have been at least eight or nine feet long, though this was admittedly just a guess. The end of his nose wasn’t two feet away from the platform, and the platform wasn’t six inches above the water. I didn’t have to be any good at math to work out the danger. Were alligators good climbers at all? Could they jump? This one didn’t deign to answer my questions; instead, he sank away into the darkness from which he’d come.

“Yes, let’s go back.” I took the lead, stepping lively but quietly.

Harry had seen the gator too. “Supposedly if you move in a zigzag motion, you can outrun them. It has something to do with their center of gravity, I think.”

“That’s very reassuring, Harry. Thank you so much for that bizarre piece of information that might or might not save my life in the frightfully near future.”

“Anytime.”

Harry and I beat a fast retreat back towards the park’s entrance, accompanied by the clomping of our shoes on the boards and the incessant whines of the stinging insects. When we reached our starting point once more, we took turns swilling tepid water from a stainless steel fountain. The great state of Florida didn’t see fit to refrigerate the drinking fountain, but the water was wet and we were thirsty. I tried to ignore the yellowy flavor of sulfur and dirt and swallow it without tasting, but this was not possible. I gave up and gulped, then stood upright and dragged my forearm across my chin to wipe the last drops away.

Along the side of the station was posted an enormous diagram of the entire park, complete with topographical markers and indications of where the ground was solid and where there was only water. A sign indicated that there might be more such source materials inside.

“Why don’t you go on without me?” I suggested, picking up a couple of official park pamphlets. “You go get a canoe and some other things, like you said. I’ll be here inside the station looking over this stuff.”

“Hmm, yeah, that would be all right. I’m just heading back up the road, and I won’t be gone long. So I guess that would be okay. But don’t leave“ he admonished, wagging his finger at my nose.

“Where would I go?” I wasn’t trying to dodge his command, as I had every intention of staying put. But Harry was unsatisfied, so I nodded and shrugged. “I won’t go anywhere, I promise.”

“Okay then. I’ll be right back.”

“Righty-o.”