176 WAKE-ROBIN 



denly a loud crack at the root. With a celerity 

 that would at least have done credit to a bear, I 

 regained the ground, having caught but a momen- 

 tary glimpse of the country, but enough to convince 

 me no lake was near. Leaving all incumbrances 

 here but my gun, I still pressed on, loath to be 

 thus baffled. After floundering through another 

 alder swamp for nearly half a mile, I flattered my- 

 self that I was close on to the lake. I caught sight 

 of a low spur of the mountain sweeping around like 

 a half-extended arm, and I fondly imagined that 

 within its clasp was the object of my search. But 

 I found only more alder swamp. After this region 

 was cleared, the . creek began to descend the moun- 

 tain very rapidly. Its banks became high and nar- 

 row, and it went whirling away with a sound that 

 seemed to my ears like a burst of ironical laughtey. 

 I turned back with a feeling of mingled disgust, 

 shame, and vexation. In fact I was almost sick, 

 and when I reached my companions, after an ab- 

 sence of nearly two hours, hungry, fatigued, and 

 disheartened, I would have sold my interest in 

 Thomas's Lake at a very low figure. For the first 

 time, I heartily wished myself well out of the 

 woods. Thomas might keep his lake, and the en- 

 chanters guard his possession! I doubted if he had 

 ever found it the second time, or if any one else 

 ever had. 



My companions, who were quite fresh, and who 

 had not felt the strain of baffled purpose as I had, 

 assumed a more encouraging tone. After I had 



