r had vanished. The
dawn of the coming summer's day appeared, and the sky became a lovely
azure. The canoe sailed on, but Felix remained immovable in slumber.

Long since the strong current had ceased, it scarcely extended into the
sweet waters, and the wind only impelled the canoe. As the sun rose the
breeze gradually fell away, and in an hour or so there was only a light
air. The canoe had left most of the islets and was approaching the open
Lake when, as she passed almost the last, the yard caught the
overhanging branch of a willow, the canoe swung round and grounded
gently under the shadow of the tree. For some time the little wavelets
beat against the side of the boat; gradually they ceased, and the clear
and beautiful water became still. Felix slept till nearly noon, when he
awoke and sat up. At the sudden movement a pike struck, and two moorhens
scuttled out of the water into the grass on the shore. A thrush was
singing sweetly, whitethroats were busy in the bushes, and swallows
swept by overhead.

Felix drew a long deep breath of intense relief; it was like awakening
in Paradise. He snatched up a cup, dipped, and satisfied his craving
thirst, then washed his hands over the side, and threw the water over
his face. But when he came to stand up and move, he found that his limbs
were almost powerless. Like a child he tottered, his joints had no
strength, his legs tingled as if they had been benumbed. He was so weak
he crawled on all fours along to the mast, furled the sail kneeling, and
dragged himself rather than stepped ashore with the painter. The instant
he had fastened the rope to a branch, he threw himself at full length on
the grass, and grasped a handful of it. Merely to touch the grass after
such an experience was intense delight.

The song of the thrush, the chatter of the whitethroats, the sight of a
hedge-sparrow, gave him inexpressible pleasure. Lying on the sward he
watched the curves traced by the swallows in the sky. From the sedges
came the curious cry of the moorhen; a bright kingfisher went by. He
rested as he had never rested before. His whole body, his whole being
was resigned to rest. It was fully two hours before he rose and crept on
all fours into the canoe for food. There was only sufficient left for
one meal, but that gave him no concern now he was out of the marshes; he
could fish and use his crossbow.

He now observed what had escaped him during the night, the canoe was
black from end