BIRCH BROWSINGS. 187 



In these woods, which had a southeastern expos* 

 nro, I first began to notice the wood-thrush. Ir 

 coming up the other side I had not seen a feathei 

 of any kind, or heard a note. Now the golden 

 trillide-de of the wood-thrush sounded through the 

 silent woods. While looking for a fish-pole ah-^ut 

 half-way down the mountain, I saw a thrush's nest n 

 a little sapling about ten feet from the ground. 



After continuing our descent till our only guidn, 

 the spring run, became quite a trout brook, and ita 

 tiny murmur a loud brawl, we began to peer anx- 

 iously through the trees for a glimpse of the lake, or 

 for some conformation of the land that would indicate 

 its proximity An object which we vaguely discerned 

 in looking a^der the near trees and over the more 

 distant ones proved, on further inspection, to be a 

 patch of ploughed ground. Presently we made out a 

 burnt fallow near it. This was a wet blanket to our 

 enthusiasm. No lake, no sport, no trout for supper 

 that night. The rather indolent young man had 

 either played us a trick, or, as seemed more likely, 

 had missed the way. We were particularly anxious 

 %o be at the lake between sundown and dark, as at 

 that time the trout jump most freely. 



Pushing on, we soon emerged into a stumpy field, 

 ft the head of a steep valley, which swept around 

 toward the west. About two hundred rods below us 

 wras a rude log-house, with smoke issuing from tha 

 ihimney. A boy came out and moved toward the 

 ipring with a pail in his hand. We shouted to him. 



