A Canvas Canoe 301 



spring, and our camping-ground. So a portage 

 was decided on, and we struck inland, up a wide 

 valley, and, leaving that, across what seemed an 

 endless plain. The lake no longer was in sight. 

 Now and again we heard the sound of galloping 

 hoofs, and caught a glimpse of a startled herd 

 of kyang disappearing in the dim light. After 

 going a couple of hours or so, our guide seemed 

 uncertain of his direction : track there was none, 

 so we turned left again to fetch the lake side, 

 where at any rate we knew it was simply a 

 matter of time finding the camp ; so we went 

 stumbling along over the sand-dunes, till in 

 time the lake appeared once more, shimmering 

 below us, and we could see the moon -lit mountains 

 on the other side and the moon's bright path 

 across the waters. Almost at the same time 

 the distant but welcome twinkle of a camp-fire 

 somewhere near the shore, but almost behind 

 us, told us our change of direction had been 

 none too soon. Otherwise we might have 

 wandered the night long through these desolate 

 wilds and been farther from our camp at the 

 end than at the beginning. 



Next day there was a spanking breeze, and 

 we stood out into the middle of the lake for 

 a run down. But, clear of the headland, we 

 got more wind than we had bargained for. The 



