bountyhunters,noenemybutmanremained.Ifwestayedhidden,wewouldtioendure.

    Ourstrugglewastofindtherightchildwithwhomtotradeplaces.Itcouldntbearandomsele.Agelingmustdecideonachildthesameageashewaswhenhehadbeenkidnapped.Iwasseveheytookme,andsevenwhehoughIhadbeeninthewoodsfornearlyatury.Theordealofthatworldisnotonlysurvivalinthewild,butthelong,unbear-ablewaittoebatothisworld.

    WhenIfirstreturhatleariencebecameavirtue.Mysateswatchedtimecrawleveryafternoon,waitiernityforthethreeoclockbell.WesedgraderssatinthesamestultifyingroomfromSeptembertomid-June,andbarringweekendsandthegloriousfreedomofholidays,wewereexpectedtoarrivebyeightoclodbehaveourselvesforthesevenhours.Iftheweathercooperated,wewereletoutintotheplaygroundtwiceadayforashortrecessandatlunchtime.Irospect,theactualmomentsspenttogetherpaletoourtimeapart,butsomethingsarebestmeasuredbyqualityratherthanquantity.Myclassmatesmadeeachdayatorture.Iex-pectedcivilization,buttheywereworsethanthegelings.Theboysintheirgrubbynavybowtiesandblueuniformswereindistinguishablyhorrid—nose-pickers,thumbsuckers,snorers,neer-do-wells,farters,burpers,theunwashedandun.AbullybythenameofHayeslikedtotorturetherest,stealinglunches,pushinginline,pissingonshoes,fightingontheplay-ground.Oherjoinedhissycophants,egginghimon,orwouldbeslatedasapotentialprey.Afewoftheboysbecameperpetuallyoppressed.Theyreactedbadly,eitherbywithdrawingdeepihemselvesor,worse,gandscreamingateveryslightprovocation.Atanearlyage,theyweremarkedforlife,endingup,doubtlessly,asc