274 THROUGH THE FIELDS WITH LINN&US 



it for her. A young man with intelligent expression 

 of face, who spoke English, told us of a ' boot ' at 1 1 

 o'clock. He then vanished into space, as most people 

 do in the wide landscape of Sweden. ' No, the " boot " 

 comes at twelve,' says someone at the railway-station. 

 We go to the Kanal Kontor to certify. ' Yes, there is a 

 " boot " at twelve/ says another, ' but it is not to-day, 

 nor to-morrow ; but uber morgen ' (the day after). Fancy 

 staying at Norsholm till uber morgen ! A week's stay at 

 Swindon Junction would be blissful in comparison. The 

 young woman here says, ' Boat to-morrow morning at 

 five no, four /.m.' l 'No,' examining the time-tables 

 again, c there is, after all, Tuesday, a boat at eleven.' 

 ' But it is after September 1,' as we pointed out to her, 

 4 when the summer season is over.' Ean back to the 

 station, our train just moving off. ' Stop it ! Hi ! ' It 

 stops at once for us. f Hi ! ' we cry, ' there's no boat ! 

 Pray send us a boat, or stop the train, or something ! ' 

 They obligingly stop everything, even the telegraph 

 youth (also with intelligent expression), who is sup- 

 posed to speak German, who was working his messages. 

 Business waits upon politeness here. Between them 

 all they politely hunt up, or hatch up, a convenient boat 

 for us, and assure us it will come. Though the Swedes 

 are truthful, we fear to believe. A screech in the 

 distance. Their boat-whistles sound most weird. ' I 

 hear a " boot " ! ' I scream. ' You don't mean it ! ' 



F.m,, ante meridiem, 'fearful moment '; e.m., post meridiem, is 

 easier moment ' ; free interpretation. 



