THIRD DAY. 49 
winging their way to some other ground. Evening was far 
advanced, the night was struggling with the last vestiges of 
day, and bats were flitting restlessly along the banks. It was 
a lovely passage; the woods exhaled their perfumes, and 
the very perceptible sunset chill of these regions, which gives 
such colds and fevers to. the imprudent, had mellowed to a 
soft night air. 
After a very quick run of an hour and a half, the woods to 
our left grew thinner and more open, and in front of us 
appeared a tract of country only studded with a few trees. 
_In the distance shone the lights of our steamer: a few more 
good strokes of the oars brought us alongside the accommo- 
dation-ladder, and we were soon standing on the deck of our 
comfortable dwelling. 
The steamer had, after we had left it in the morning, 
returned to Apatin to take in coals and provisions, and then 
continued its journey a long way further down the river to 
the point where the broad arm of the Danube joins the main 
stream above the Hullé Marsh, and therefore not far from 
Draueck. Here the vessel turned into the arm, and went a 
little way up-stream to a fishing-colony at the edge of a great 
“au.” wood on the right bank, and there anchored to wait 
for us, for this was the spot where we were to take up our 
quarters for the night. 
Immediately after our arrival the much-desired dinner was 
served, and some food was welcome, for the whole day long 
since breakfast we had eaten nothing but some pieces of milk- 
bread which had been put into the game-bag: this, however, 
was but a short day compared with those which were to 
follow. 
The prudent Brehm had conceived the splendid idea of 
bargaining for crayfish at one of the fisher-colonies, for the 
crayfish of the Danube has a very good flavour, and also 
E 
