an instant, but the difficulty was to regain any sort of footing.
She could not drop into the water, and there was apparently no way
of dragging herself up again; but one of the gentlemen crept on
hands and knees along the unbroken part of the bridge, and
eventually helped her up the sides of the large boulder which acted
as a pier, and from which the log had slipped. From the other side
they now pushed across tall, slim trees, freshly cut, and the rest
of the passage was safe enough. I did not like the mode of transit
at all, though I got over without a slip, but it requires a steady
head to cross a noisy stream on two slippery round poles--for really
the trees were little thicker--laid side by side, bending with every
step. It was a great comfort to me all luncheon-time to know that
we were not to return by the same path through the Bush. We had a
good rest after lunch: I lay back on a bed of fern, watching the
numbers of little birds around us; they boldly picked up our crumbs,
without a thought of possible danger. Presently I felt a tug at the
shawl on which I was lying: I was too lazy and dreamy to turn my
head, so the next thing was a sharp dig on my arm, which hurt me
dreadfully. I looked round, and there was a weka bent on thoroughly
investigating the intruder into its domain. The bird looked so cool
and unconcerned, that I had not the heart to follow my first impulse
and throw my stick at it; but my forbearance was presently rewarded
by a stab on the ankle, which fairly made me jump up with a scream,
when my persecutor glided gracefully away among the bushes, leaving
me, like Lord Ullin, "lamenting."

We sauntered home slowly, gathering armfuls of, fern and a large
variety of a stag's-head moss so common on the west coast of
Scotland; and as soon as we had had some tea, the gentlemen went off
with their towels to bathe in the creek, and the five ladies set to