Now Merda spent another couple of hours wandering among the endless orange trees. No 1 of civilization, so he re-entered the woods and soon found himself in swamp(沼泽) water.
He labored for hours as the sun 2 . Tall, thick grasses and thorns blocked his way; mud and water 3 his boots. He tried to navigate by the sun but kept losing it. Each time he picked out a 4 or chose a beeline course, he became 5 lost again after just a few minutes.
Darkness was falling when at last he re-emerged onto the shore of the lake. The water was surprisingly cold, especially as it deepened. Merda started out paddling strongly for the opposite 6 , drinking lake water to ease his awful thirst. He swam on, but some strange 7 prevented his progress. He was a good swimmer, yet he 8 kept diverging (偏离) from his goal. It was maddening, but he 9 to give in to emotion. The sun disappeared and the stars came out, and still he struggled. And that's 10 he saw the alligator (短吻鳄).
Before he could swim a stroke, before he could 11 out a scream, the creature struck like a snake. It sank its teeth into Merda's forearm, and 12 him underwater.
Merda went into 13 mode. He threw his other arm around the alligator's middle, grabbing at its belly. Merda resurfaced, 14 for air, but just as quickly the alligator yanked(猛拉) him under again. Merda felt the flesh of his arm 15 away as the arm was cut off. The creature disappeared into the darkness, carrying Merda's forearm with it.
No pain yet, only terror. Then he realized he was the only one who could get himself out of this. He positioned himself up against the trunk of the tree and waited for dawn.
