A Sportsman 265 



tion, excepting a natural impellment to go out. My 

 wife and daughter had gone out to the mouth of a 

 brook two or three miles below, but could easily land 

 beneath a shelter there, with their experienced guide, 

 and I felt no anxiety about them. After getting out 

 a mile or so, I saw a very suspicious-looking funnel- 

 shaped cloud coming toward me with unusual rapidity, 

 and I saw I was in for it, though it somewhat disturbed 

 my Berserker courage. I had time, however, to let 

 down my catboat-rigged sail and put three reefs in it, 

 and none too soon. Still I thought I might weather 

 the severity of the squall, close-reefed as I was; but the 

 first rush of the wind from the shore over the lake, 

 accompanied by a torrent of rain, lashing the water 

 surface to foam, indicated that I would be helpless, and 

 as I held up my bow as well as I could, a sudden drop 

 of wind, as it seemed to me falling from above, bore my 

 boat beneath the water, but not deeply, for the craft, 

 although carrying half a ton of ballast, had four air 

 tanks below, sufficient to float her, and I had little idea 

 of giving up the ship. The squall in its severity blew 

 away everything movable, cushions, oars, and the small 

 boat attached to the larger, for no small boat could 

 have sustained itself in any manner, except sunken to 

 a level with the water. My cap blowing away left my 

 head unprotected, which suffered so from the flying 

 water, pelting me as if I were in a hailstorm, being 

 taken up as sand and small stones are in a gale, that I 

 was obliged to tie my handkerchief over it, and my 

 face had an appearance after the blow as if it had 

 passed the night with a swarm of mosquitoes. 



Poor Paris was at times blown far away from me de- 

 spite his rapid swimming qualities, but would not de- 



