THIRD DAY. 37 



for to each of us there involuntarily presented itself the question, 

 Shall we kill any eagles, and with the best of luck how many 

 shall we bring back to this place after hours of hard work ? 



A boat and a couple of " csikeln " were assigned to me. 

 My jager Beck and I got into the former, which was rowed 

 by two men, while Hodek and his man Ferencz followed in 

 the latter. We had hardly left the rest of the party, and 

 gone a little way down the broad stream, when a huge Sea- 

 Eagle flew slowly over the wood within rifle-shot of my boat, 

 and I, who am so very superstitious when out shooting, ac- 

 cepted this as a good omen and a propitious sign from St. 

 Hubert, who has always favoured me so greatly in my pursuit 

 of eagles. As we were merrily hurrying down-stream I 

 suddenly perceived on our left a small break in the loamy 

 crumbling bank through which the water was rushing into a 

 narrow channel. " Here," said my boatmen, " we must 

 enter ; " and I confess that at first I watched the manoeuvre 

 with some anxiety ; however, the turn was made, and the 

 water carried us into the deeply cut channel. Eowing was 

 quite impossible, for on both sides there were but a few inches 

 between boat and bank, while on either hand were loamy 

 walls several feet high. Here I noticed, imbedded in the 

 ooze and mud, a huge tree which had probably lain buried in 

 this place for many many years. Above us closed the branches 

 of the bushes which grew in wild luxuriance on both sides; 

 and I cannot remember having ever seen anything like it, 

 for the whole defile had quite a character of its own. Yet, 

 interesting as it was, we felt relieved on getting well out of 

 it, since even with both arms it was difficult to guard one's 

 face from rough contact with the low drooping boughs. 

 Suddenly both the banks came to an end as if they had been 

 cut off, and all trace of dry land vanished, for we had reached 

 the district of the yearly inundations and the very wilderness 

 itself. 



