THE FISHESfG-EAGLE. 43 



for our safety. On this, I shut my eyes, holding on 

 fast to the sides of the vehicle, whilst Reid drove on 

 through the fiames. Five minutes afterwards, E-eid, 

 who had never lost his presence of mind throughout, 

 called out, " All right, my friend, here we are on the 

 other side the fire, and there^s nothing more to fear.'' 



I opened my eyes and found a splendid view 

 before them. Within a few yards of the scene of 

 the calamity. Nature was as calm as if nothing had 

 happened. One would have supposed it to have 

 been a dream from which we had just awakened. 

 Even the horse understood that there was no longer 

 a^y danger, for he calmed down at once without 

 requiring to be pulled up. Presently we heard the 

 osprey fluttering about in its basket, and on Eeid 

 getting down he found the bird flapping its wiugs 

 against the wicker sides like one demented. The 

 bird had evidently understood the danger to which 

 we had been exposed, and on recovering its presence 

 of mind was attempting to take flight. Eeid, how- 

 ever, soon calmed it with voice and gesture, and 

 the intelligent creature soon regained its ordinary 

 quietude. 



Our vehicle soon resumed its course, and turning 

 down a cross-road leading to the lake we soon 

 reached the Lake Hotel, where we arrived a little 

 after five o'clock, and where we found the host 

 waiting for us on the threshold, with a napkin 

 under his arm and a smile upon his lips. 



