PEPACTON: A SUMMER VOYAGE. 21 



jheir musical voices and their thorough good-fellow- 

 hip had been very acceptable. With a little persua- 

 sion, I think they would have left their home and 

 humble fortunes, and gone a-roving with me. 



About four o'clock the warm, vapor-laden south- 

 west wind brought forth the expected thunder-shower. 

 I saw the storm rapidly developing behind the mount- 

 ains in my front. Presently I came in sight of a 

 long, covered wooden bridge that spanned the river 

 about a mile ahead, and I put my paddle into the 

 water with all my force to reach this cover before the 

 storm. It was neck and neck most of the way. The 

 storm had the wind, and I had it in my teeth. 

 The bridge was at Shavertown, and it was by a close 

 shave that I got under it before the rain was upon 

 me. How it poured and rattled and whipped in around 

 the abutment of the bridge to reach me ! I looked 

 out well satisfied upon the foaming water, upon the 

 wet, unpainted houses and barns of the Shavertown- 

 ers, and upon the trees, 



" Caught and cuffed by the gale.'* 



A little hawk the spotted-winged night-hawk 

 wart also roughly used by the storm. He faced it 

 bravely, and beat and beat, but was unable to stem it, 

 or even hold his own ; gradually he drifted back, till 

 be was lost to sight in the wet obscurity. The water 

 ji the river rose an inch while I waited, about three 

 quarters of an hour. Only one man, I reckon, saw 

 jae in Shavertowu, and be came and gossiped with 

 lie from the bank above when the srorm had abated. 



