282 WILD SPOKTS IN THE FAH WEST. 



further down it is navigated by steamers. The country 

 and vegetation differed considerably from that south of 

 the Arkansas. There was no trace of fir ; the moun- 

 tains were covered with oak, beech, and hickory, all at 

 this season without leaves, which, to an eye accustomed 

 to green hollows, seemed rather mournful and mono- 

 tonous. It struck me as extraordinary that the best 

 and most fertile land was on the hill tops, where, in 

 other places it is generally the worst ; here grew black 

 walnut, wild cherry, with stems sometimes twenty 

 inches in diameter, black locust, and sugar maple, trees 

 which generally grow only in the richest soils. The 

 black locust was very frequent, and its long sharp thorns 

 are by no means pleasant on a journey. 



About noon we passed a log house, at the door of 

 which stood a fat red-haired man. When we had 

 passed, Slowtrap told me that, four years ago, that man 

 had bought a clock ; and after he had had it two days, 

 lie doubted whether all was right inside ; so he took it 

 to pieces, and when satisfied, put it together again, and 

 people said that when he had done so, he had wheels 

 enough left for another clock. 



It was Christinas eve, and growing dark. My heart 

 punk as I remembered former joys of this season, and 

 thought of my present loneliness. Strange ! that rec- 

 ollections should be so sweet and yet so bitter. 



In good time we arrived at old Comvell's, Slowtrap's 

 father-in-law. lie lived in a block-house, surrounded 

 by mountains covered with trees, close to the bank of 

 the White river, which was narrow enough to be 

 bridged by a tree. The family were assembled round 

 the fire ; Con well himself was absent. A matron of 



