"These right here are cypress. I'll tell y'all somethin', these cypress trees can live up to six hundred years. Every inch of thickness equals twelve and a half years of growth. So, you can see, some of these trees are hundreds of years old.

"As you probably know, the swamp's full of all kind of critters. There are thirty-four different kinds of snakes in the swamp and I seen every one of 'em. Six of 'em are venomous, includin' the famous water moccasin, or cottonmouth, eastern diamondback rattler and the coral snake.

"We also got some fine specimen of spiders," he said to Dawn. "Like the one right above your head."

Dawn looked up and screamed. The spider was yellow and black and nearly the size of my hand. Its web spanned the width of the creek.

"Now watch this," our guide said. He grabbed a section of the web and plucked it like a banjo string. "Now that is strong! The government is studyin' this, tryin' to duplicate it. Inch per inch, this web is stronger than steel."

We were more intent on the ma.s.sive spider hanging above us than its web, which, in spite of our guide's provocation, seemed content to stay where it was.

"If y'all look to the port side on the bank there, you'll see a big ol' hole with the brush all pushed back. That's an alligator nest. The gator there we call Miss Daisy and her eggs hatched just last week. We got a half dozen of her babies back at our center for their own protection. These baby gators get gobbled up by just about everythin' that can get to them, racc.o.o.ns, birds and other gators.

"An interestin' fact about gators, the temperature determines their gender. During their incubation if the temperature averages above ninety-three degrees, they'll be male gators. If it's cooler than that, you got females. It's been hot lately, so this brood was all male."

The boat continued up the ca.n.a.l. Nailed to a tree overhanging the bank twenty yards ahead of us was a sign, printed backward and upside down. "Y'all might want to get a picture of this before our waves make it hard to see."The sign's reflection in the water read:

MIRROR

LAKE

The boat churned up the narrow black waterway for another five minutes before our guide started speaking again.

"That big ol' rusty kettle up on your left is a still. Back durin' Prohibition, the swamp was lit up like Christmas with all the stills pumping out illicit moonshine. We've got two kinds of stills in here, turpentine and whiskey. It's best not to get them mixed up, but sometimes there's not a whole lot of difference 'tween the two.

"This still right here was for alcohol. It was owned by a feller they called Lightnin' Larry. The locals gave his moonshine whiskey a special name: Autumn Leaves. Anyone wish to venture a guess why they called his brew Autumn Leaves?"

"Because he only made it in autumn," Peggy said.

"No," Herman said with a grin, "it's because you'd take one drink of the stuff, change colors and fall."

We all laughed.

"Now take a moment to notice some of the unique foliage around us. On your right is the pitcher plant. It's one of several carnivorous plants in the swamp, includin' the Venus flytrap. Even the plants in the swamp have a bite."

Our excursion lasted about forty-five minutes in all. We didn't encounter a single alligator, which was disappointing to me. After we had docked and tipped Herman, I walked around the park for a while, looking down from the boardwalk into wood-sided pens filled with alligators and snapping turtles, all of which looked more dead than alive.

A little more than an hour after I arrived, I returned through the visitor center, where I purchased a cold bottle of water and a Snickers bar. I had just stepped out onto the curb to call the cab company from my cell phone when a minivan pulled over in front of me. I walked up to the pa.s.senger-side window where Dawn sat.

"Sure you don't want a ride to Key West?" she said.

"We've got room," Boyd added, "if you don't mind sitting in back with the boys."

"Thank you, but no. I'm hoofing it."

"Then how about a lift to town?" Dawn said.

"I'll take you up on that," I replied.

"Brandon," Boyd said, "open the door."

The boy slid the side door open, and I climbed in, shutting the door behind me.

"Are you really going to walk all the way to Key West?" Brandon asked.

"I really am."

"You're nuts," he said.

"Brandon!" his mother said sternly.

"He's right," I said. "I am."

"What's that on your head?" the other boy, who looked a little older, asked from the back seat.

"Chris!" shouted Dawn. She turned to me. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," I said. I turned to Chris. "About three months ago I had a tumor about this size removed from my brain." I made a circle with my thumb and forefinger.

"Cancer?" Dawn asked.

"No. It was benign."

"What does that mean?" Brandon asked.

"It means it's not going to kill me," I said.

"Praise G.o.d," Dawn said.

"Does that have something to do with why you're walking?" Boyd asked.

I shook my head. "No. It just made it a little tougher."After about ten minutes, Boyd rolled the van to a stop in front of my hotel. I slid open the door and climbed out. "Travel well," I said.

"You walk well," Boyd said.

"We'll warm up Key West for you," Dawn added.

"Thanks. Have a good time." I pointed at the two boys. "Especially you two."

They were both playing video games on their phones and just kind of nodded. I shut the door and Boyd turned back to the highway. I ate dinner at the El Potro Mexican Restaurant, then went to bed early.

I didn't sleep well. Mexican food isn't the best choice for a good night's rest, and I was nervous about the upcoming stretch. It had been a while since I'd walked more than thirty miles in one day and that was before my craniotomy. Don't worry, you'll make it, I told myself. You always do.

CHAPTER Thirty-five