 The short story is told from the perspective of Don Fenton, an American government agent, and revolves around Ruth Parsons, a woman he meets while on vacation in Mexico.Ruth and her daughter Althea charter a plane with the Maya pilot Esteban and allow Fenton to travel with them.When the plane crashes in a mangrove swamp on the coast of Quintana Roo, Don and Ruth split off from Althea and Esteban in order to search for fresh water.