OFF FOR CRANBERRY LAKE. 217 



Dinner over, at Hermou, the collective Captain and 

 Commissary smoked. We all wrote and mailed our fan- 

 wells to the vain world behind us. and left our names with 

 the telegraph operator, with explicit instructions to hunt us 

 up whithersoever we should wander; if telegrams came, 

 and to send means to bring us out of the wilderness, all or 

 singly, as the c;i-e should require. 



The strong vehicle which was to convey us, with the 

 sturdy steeds fresh for the long journey, wheeled up in 

 front of the hotel ; our luggage was deposited therein ; the 

 last things were looked after ; but the 'Squire had to b 

 hunted up again. He was found, and we all got aboard. 

 But the 'Squire had forgotten his lantern and cigars, and 

 went olf in search of them. After some further waiting it 

 \\.-i-* e\ ident he was lost again, and again we hunted him 

 up. He had ;t faculty of not staying found a great while, 

 all through the trip. Keiil.en smoked, and a-hemed! He 

 was nervous at the delay. The veteran of many an e\pe 

 dition had learned how precious mid day moments are. 



Finally we were actually all aboard and olT. in one jolly 

 load, at 1 :'-20 P. M., bound direct for the foot of Cranberry 

 Lake, thirty six miles distant. The Captain lighted a 

 fre>h cigar as liurnham cracked the whip, and we shouted 

 our irood byes to the assembled village men and boys on 

 the hotel pia/./.a, and rolled dustily out of town forest 

 ward. 



It was a hot day. the road rough and up and down hill, and 

 it wasC.: P. M.. when we reached Clarksboro, twenty-two 

 miles from DeKalb Junction and well into the woods. 



