He sat down, but immediately got up and struggled on.
The church tower on the slope of the hill was a landmark by which he easily discovered the direction of the spot where he had hidden the canoe.

But he felt unable to push through the belt of brushwood, reeds, and flags beside the shore, and therefore struck through the firs, following a cattle track, which doubtless led to another grazing ground.
This ran parallel with the shore, and when he judged himself about level with the canoe he left it, and entered the wood itself.

For a little way he could walk, but the thick fir branches soon blocked his progress, and he could progress only on hands and knees, creeping beneath them.

There was a hollow space under the lower branches free from brushwood.
Thus he painfully approached the Lake, and descending the hill, after an hour's weary work emerged among the rushes and reeds.

He was within two hundred yards of the canoe, for he recognised the island opposite it.