`` That was a terrible thing to do '', I said to Oso.

`` But that was war '', I said.

Still, I was disgusted with myself for agreeing with Montero's methods.

In the brief moment I had to talk to them before I took my post on the ring of defenses, I indicated I was sickened by the methods men employed to live and trade on the river.

Next to him was a young boy I was sure had sat near me at one of the trading sessions.

Now under me I could see him for what he really was, a boy dressed up in streaks of paint.

Such was my state of mind that I did not question the possibility of this ; ;

under the circumstances I was only too willing to confess all.

I was nearly thirty at the time.

It was dark and, I sensed, very large ; ;

Sometimes I was aware of people moving about in the darkness.

This impressed me, until I realized how limited was his sphere of influence.

I felt certain he was really a spineless little man.

Once, pressing him, I learned that his job was only part-time, in the afternoons when nothing went on in the hall.

In the mornings, I was informed, fluorescent tubes, similar to the one above the counter, illuminated the entire hall.

I was shown, instead, a batch of white tickets of the sort handed out, he told me, every morning.

Now, here was something of obvious importance to me, yet when I reached for the tickets he snatched them away from my hand.

It was, I felt, possible that they were men who, having received no tickets for that day, had remained in the hall, to sleep perhaps, in the corners farthest removed from the counter with its overhead light.

I felt certain it was self-appointed.

I decided to see no more of the clerk until the processing of my papers was completed.

I was constantly searching for clues around the neighborhood of the hall.

He later wrote of how he " rejoiced at my good fortune in stumbling upon an object so interesting in the natural history of the earth, and which I had been long looking for in vain.

But Gould did not rule out sociobiological explanations for many aspects of animal behavior, writing: " Sociobiologists have broadened their range of selective stories by invoking concepts of inclusive fitness and kin selection to solve ( successfully I think ) the vexatious problem of altruism — previously the greatest stumbling block to a Darwinian theory of social behavior ...

When I traveled around the country without a map, trying to find my way, stumbling on amazing things as I went, I realized how it felt to go on an adventure like this.

While Carew held this office he displayed his tact and presence of mind by stumbling and extinguishing the candle he was holding to light Charles I into the queen's chamber, because he saw that Lord St Albans had his arm round her majesty's neck.

In Brazil, he is known as Tropeço (" stumbling block "; also " I stumble, trip over ").

The 1996 song " Lazybones " by Soul Coughing ( with lead singer Mike Doughty ) refers to " Cameraman sways to remember how the eye dances, drunkenness is a hand-held scrambling down Delancey, I come stumbling ".

`` I don't have many strays coming to my front door '', he said.

`` All my life '', he said, `` I tried.

`` I hate to leave my garden '', Gavin said.

I loved my garden ''.

`` I never felt better in my life '', Fiske blustered.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Gray Eyes rushing at me with a knife.

I could see them in my sights.

I found his chest in my sights.

At the last second I dropped my sights from the bare chest and bright red circle to the chest of his pony.

In my sights I watched him looming bigger and bigger.

I would turn away from my writing in the hope of getting a good look at them but I never quite succeeded.

I withdrew my hand.

Having nothing else to do except wait for my forms to be processed, I gave myself over to speculations concerning the hall itself.

For although I had crossed a corner of the hall on my way to the toilet I still could not tell for sure how far to the rear the darkness extended.

This light did not penetrate very far back into the hall, and my eyes were hindered rather than aided by the dim daylight entering through the fan vents when I tried to pick out whatever might be lying, or squatting, on the floor below.

No sooner would I turn my head away from the counter before he would address me, at times quite sharply, in order to bring back my attention.