THIRD DAY. 49 



winging their way to some other ground. Evening was far 

 advanced, the night was struggling with the last vestiges of 

 day, and bats were flitting restlessly along the banks. It was 

 a lovely passage ; the woods exhaled their perfumes, and 

 the very perceptible sunset chill of these regions, which gives 

 such colds and fevers to the imprudent, had mellowed to a 

 soft night air. 



After a very quick run of an hour and a half, the woods to 

 our left grew thinner and more open, and in front of us 

 appeared a tract of country only studded with a few trees. 

 In the distance shone the lights of our steamer : a few more 

 good strokes of the oars brought us alongside the accommo- 

 dation-ladder, and we were soon standing on the deck of our 

 comfortable dwelling. 



The steamer had, after we had left it in the morning, 

 returned to Apatin to take in coals and provisions, and then 

 continued its journey a long way further down the river to 

 the point where the broad arm of the Danube joins the main 

 stream above the Hullo Marsh, and therefore not far from 

 Draueck. Here the vessel turned into the arm, and went a 

 little way up-stream to a fishing-colony at the edge of a great 

 " au " wood on the right bank, and there anchored to wait 

 for us, for this was the spot where we were to take up our 

 quarters for the night. 



Immediately after our arrival the much-desired dinner was 

 served, and some food was welcome, for the whole day long 

 since breakfast we had eaten nothing but some pieces of milk- 

 bread which had been put into the game-bag : this, however, 

 was but a short day compared with those which were to 

 follow. 



The prudent Brehm had conceived the splendid idea of 

 bargaining for crayfish at one of the fisher-colonies, for the 

 crayfish of the Danube has a very good flavour, and also 



