A 



WEARY WIGHT." 149 



ward. Those slender boats never looked so beautiful 

 to me before, as they then did, resting quietly on the 

 beach. 



It was now nearly dark, and the nearest hut was 

 four miles off. Three of us sat down in one boat 

 and looked despairingly on each other, as much as to 

 say, "Who can row these four miles?" Invalid 

 as I was, I seemed to have the most strength left, 

 and so took the oars and rowed two miles and a 

 half, though every stroke seemed to tear out my very 

 stomach — ribs and all. "We at length moored our 

 skiff at the base of a hill, and began the ascent to a 

 clearing. With both hands on the muzzle of my rifle, 

 which I used as a pole to push myself along with, I 

 dragged one foot after another, till I at length stopped, 

 and bowing my head on my gun, declared I was fairly 

 done up, and could go no farther. Just then there 

 came a flash of lightning that set the dark forest in a 

 blaze, followed by a peal of thunder that made the 

 shores and mountains tremble, as it rolled like the 

 report of a hundred cannon down the lake. I in- 

 stinctively straightened up, as the thought flashed 

 over me, what sort of a mathematical line the bullet 

 of my rifle would just then have made through my 



