186 WAKE-ROBIN 



it was. We at last brought up at the bottom of a 

 deep gorge, through which flowed a rapid creek that 

 literally swarmed with trout. But we were in no 

 mood to catch them, and pushed on along the chan- 

 nel of the stream, sometimes leaping from rock to 

 rock, and sometimes splashing heedlessly through 

 the water, and speculating the while as to where 

 we should probably come out. On the Beaver Kill, 

 my companions thought; but, from the position of 

 the sun, I said, on the Mill Brook, about six miles 

 below our team; for I remembered having seen, in 

 coming up this stream, a deep, wild valley that led 

 up into the mountains, like this one. Soon the 

 banks of the stream became lower, and we moved 

 into the woods. Here we entered upon an obscure 

 wood-road, which presently conducted us into the 

 midst of a vast hemlock forest. The land had a 

 gentle slope, and we wondered why the lumbermen 

 and barkmen who prowl through these woods had 

 left this fine tract untouched. Beyond this the 

 forest was mostly birch and maple. 



We were now close to the settlement, and began 

 to hear human sounc^. One rod more, and we 

 were out of the woods. It took us a moment to 

 comprehend the scene. Things looked very strange 

 at first; but quickly they began to change and to 

 put on familiar features. Some magic scene-shift- 

 ing seemed to take place before my eyes, till, in- 

 stead of the unknown settlement which I at first 

 seemed to look upon, there stood the farmhouse at 

 which we had stopped two days before, and at the 



