y of California and Norway. If I enjoyed a fair specimen of the
climate--rain, wind, and fog, varied by sickly gleams of sunshine--it
strikes me it would be a congenial country for snails and frogs to
reside in. The Highlands are like all other wild places within the
limits of Europe, very gentle in their wildness compared with the
rugged slopes of the Sierra Nevada. The Lady of the Lake must have
possessed an uncommonly strong constitution, if she made her nocturnal
excursions on Loch Katrine in a thin white robe without suffering any
bad consequences, for I found a stout overcoat insufficient to keep
the chilling mists of that region from seeking in my bones a suitable
location for rheumatism.

CHAPTER XL.

THE JOLLY BLOODS.

I was quietly sitting in my state-room, awaiting the departure of the
steamer, when a tremendous racket on the cabin steps, followed by a
rush of feet up and down the saloon, startled me out of a pleasant
home-dream.

"Hello! What the devil! I say! Where's every body! Stoord! Blast the
fellow! Here, Bowser! What'r ye abeaout! Ho there! Where the dooce are
our berths? By Jove! Ha! ha! This is jolly!"

Other voices joined in, with a general chorus of complaints and
exclamations--"Egad! it's a _do_! No berths, no state-rooms! Ho,
Stoord! Where's my trunk? I say, Stoord, where's my fishing-rod? Hey!
hey! did you 'appen to see my overalls? I've lost my gun! 'Pon my
word, this is a pretty do! Let's go see the Agent?" "Come on!
Certainly!" "Oh, hang it, no!" "Oh yes!" "Here, Bowser! What the
devil! Where's Bowser? Gone ashore, by Jove! A pretty kettle of fish!"
Here there was a sudden and general stampede, and amid loud
exclamations of "Beastly!" and "Disgusting!" the party left the
cabin. I barely had time to see that it consisted of some four or five
fashionable tourists--spirited young bloods of sporting proclivities,
who had taken passage for Iceland. The prospect of having some company
was pleasant enough, and from the specimen I had seen there could be
no doubt it would be lively and entertaining.

Once more during the night I was aroused by a repetition of the noises
and exclamations already described. The steamer was moving off. The
passengers were all on board. We were battering our way through the
canal. Soon the heaving waters of the ocean began to subdue the
enthusiasm of the sportsmen, and before morning my ears were saluted
by sounds and observations of a very different cha