154 SPORT INDEED 



boot my task was interrupted by a hungry swarm of 

 black flies. They had discovered my nakedness and 

 began at once to satisfy their hunger, picking out 

 each tender spot and boring into it with such vigor 

 and determination there was nothing left me but 

 flight ; and I flew. 



Now, to walk or run in bare feet is good for the 

 health — at least, so said good Father Kneipp ; but if 

 he had ever had any experience in walking or running 

 through cold spring water, waxey mud and sharp- 

 cutting swale and wire grass he might have admitted 

 some exceptions. 



When I reached the shelter of the alders, my 

 watch, shells, compass and the other things were 

 missing. They had dropped from the handkerchief 

 unnoticed in my hurried flight and I was forced to 

 tramp back and hunt for them. Twice did I make 

 the trip, each time through a cloud of the flies whose 

 hungry appetite seemed to grow " by what it fed on." 

 As a fretful horse tries to shake off his tormenting 

 biters by stamping his feet, so did I endeavor to rid 

 myself of mine, l^or was it my feet alone that were 

 busy. My hands were quite as fully employed. I 

 whirled them about my face and ears and slapped my 

 neck, my shoulders, and my legs until they grew red 

 and I grew weary. 



I found the watch at last, hanging by its chain to 

 an alder bush which had caught and dragged it from 



