500 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



by the incessant movement of our hands in striking off the 

 clinging flies ! 



George curses strong and deep, " sotto voce," and we move 

 on into the lake without a word from us. Now we are 

 gliding along its marshy shore, and the only sound we make 

 is that caused by the low grating of the bottom of our boat 

 against the heavy leaves of the water-lilies, which cover the 

 whole surface as far as we can see, but that is not far. The 

 heavy mist-wreaths still curl up around us and arching to 

 our light, roll and spread their whitened volumes murkily. 

 The slow boat ploughs through these fantastic shapes as if 

 it labored with their weight ; but now and then an eddy of 

 the mountain wind lifts them, whirling in broken masses, 

 and reveals the dark shadows of the forest on the shore, 

 with the shining flags that push up among the bordering 

 lilies. The night is becoming chill, and we have crept into 

 every cove and winding strait among the inlets along the 

 shore, and still the same slow-rising vapor twists and rolls in 

 huge white phantoms, bushing past us ; and, lifting in solemn 

 sweep upon the winds, the jaws of darkness open over 

 the broad water, as if on that side the abyss of black infinity 

 were yawning to engulph us. No deer yet, for they seem 

 to have been all startled by our first misadventure; we 

 should have seen a dozen eyes shine our light before this ! 

 We are cold as cold can be, for much time has now passed, 

 and chilled, too, by the disappointment. Now we shoot 

 into a narrow cove between two islands. The long grass 

 and shrubs on either side nearly meet above our heads, we 

 must move with still greater caution lest we brush them. 



Now the narrow way widens again somewhat, and we go 

 winding on, while our advance light dawns with a strange 

 gleam beneath the curling vapor upon the dense wall of leafy 

 stems on either side, and we seem urging up, among ghastly 

 clouds, the glistening steep of night. It is a wild, unearthly 

 scene ; we shudder with chilly awe, for the vast weight of 



