Skink—No Surrender

Richard recalls the story of 16th-century explorer Hernando de Soto, whose expedition brought with it the first pigs to live in North America. The pigs thrived, their population booming throughout the country. One of those invasive pigs—the source of the sounds in the forest—chases Richard and Malley.

Malley, a fast runner, gets ahead of Richard. He decides to climb a tree to safety, but the animal chasing him doesn’t relent. The pig curls up next to the tree and falls asleep. Hoping to scare the pig off, Richard throws one of his shoes at it. The pig wakes up, but it doesn’t run away; instead, it eats the shoe. Frustrated, Richard throws his other shoe, which the pig also eats.

Malley’s voice reaches Richard from the forest. She approaches the pig to rescue Richard, but the animal isn’t intimidated. Rather than get too close, Malley begins to dance wildly and sing an improvised song. The large movements scare the pig away. Richard joins Malley on the ground and they continue their walk.

Richard and Malley find the car that Skink stashed near the bridge. Malley is skeptical that Richard can drive, but he insists that he can get them to a phone.