Muir starts off talking about how long he had been sitting by the Calypso-so long that he wasn't tired or hungry anymore. We, as the readers, think he has a bad attitude about sitting by this plant.
he is describing his wait as painful(he is WAY past being tired or hungry). However, the next sentence contrasts with this idea. When the sun sets, Muir suddenly gets this jolt of purpose and energy, stronger and determined than ever before. Can you see the pattern here? As for the dialogue, it is a woman speaking, and she lives in the log house he sees. She has a negative attitude towards the swamp, while Muir has a positive one. She wonders why he would want to be in a dangerous place like the swamp, explaining that a body was found in it. She then goes on to say that it was God's mercy that Muir was able to get out of the mucky swamp.
