WACHUSETT. 195 



lines and sharp summit, attracting the eye, fix- 

 ing the attention, compelling admiration. On 

 its right that is, to the eastward its pack 

 strung out in perpetual pursuit of it. There 

 was Peterborough in the fore and the Unca- 

 noonucs far behind, Crotchett Mountain in the 

 north and Watatic in the south the latter 

 " out of bounds," if the laws of this great chase 

 require the pursuing hills to stay on New 

 Hampshire soil. In the dim distance, beyond 

 this group of sunny hills, hallowed in my mind 

 by a thousand loving recollections of boyhood 

 days, were other hills. What were they ? I 

 could not tell beyond the certainty that they 

 were stepping stones to that far northland 

 which I call home, Kearsarge, Cardigan, Cube, 

 Moosilauke, Stinson, Ossipee, Chocorua ! I 

 could recall the feeling of every summit under 

 my weary foot, as I had pressed upon it with the 

 satisfaction of a conqueror. Perhaps in a clear 

 day some of those sentinel peaks of New Hamp- 

 shire can be really recognized from Wachusett. 

 After absorbing the beauties of the distant 

 view we explored the stunted groves of beeches 

 and oaks, mountain ash, striped and mountain 

 maples below the summit. Here I found a robin, 

 on a nest containing three eggs. The dwarfed 

 trees, being numerous and well proportioned, 

 seemed of normal size, but the bird, her nest 



