BIRCH BROWSINGS. 189 



fupposed to infest the locality, and then we disposed 

 ourselves for sleep. If the owls or porcupines (and 

 I think I heard one of the latter in the middle of the 

 night) reconnoitred our camp, they saw a buffalo 

 robe spread upon a rock, with three old felt hats ar- 

 ranged on one side, and three pairs of sorry-looking 

 cowhide boots protruding from the other. 



When we lay down, there was apparently not a 

 nosquito in the woods ; but the " no-see-ems," as 

 Thoreau's Indian aptly named the midges, soon found 

 us out, and after the fire had gone down annoyed us 

 much. My hands and wrists suddenly began to smart 

 and itch in a most unaccountable manner. My first 

 thought was that they had been poisoned in some way. 

 Then the smarting extended to my neck and face, 

 even to my scalp, when I began to suspect what was 

 the matter. So wrapping myself up more thoroughly, 

 and stowing my hands away as best I could, I tried 

 to sleep, being some time behind my companions, who 

 appeared not to mind the "no-see-ems." I was fur- 

 ther annoyed by some little irregularity on my side 

 of the couch. The chambermaid had not beaten it 

 up well. One huge lump refused to be mollified, and 

 i)ach attempt to adapt it to some natural hollow in 

 my own body brought only a moment's relief. But 

 at last I got the better of this also and slept. Late 

 n the night I woke up, just in time to hear a golden- 

 crowned thrash sing in a tree near by. It sang as 

 ,oud and cheerily as at midday, and I thought myself 

 after all, quite in luck. Birds occasionally sing a} 



