A JOURNEY TO NATURE 



lapel of his coat, as if he were going to an evening 

 party, and was wiping his face and neck with a 

 white handkerchief. 



&quot; Quite right,&quot; he replied. &quot; Suppose you go 

 on. It will be as dark as Erebus in half an hour. 

 After you have wandered in the mud for a while, 

 you will probably walk off a bank or tumble into 

 a hole. It s usually the way with men who seek 

 comfort instead of accepting it ; I ll stay here and 

 give thanks as the animals probably did before we 

 got here.&quot; 



&quot; Spend the night in this cow-shed ? &quot; I asked, 

 with as much bitterness as incredulity could 

 muster. 



&quot; Cow-shed,&quot; he repeated, drawing himself up 

 with admirable inflation. &quot; An ark of refuge, 

 sir. There are no cow-sheds in a healthy mind. 

 You are too particular. I suppose if a man 

 offered you a last straw, you would want to know 

 if it was wheat or rye. Cow-shed we ll make 

 this pavilion glow like the morning star.&quot; 



&quot; Doctor,&quot; I said, &quot; there seems to be a sort of 

 gallery at this end of the ark. I suppose it was 

 intended for fodder in the pastoral age. I ll 

 climb up and see if I can discern a hospitable 

 light in the neighbourhood.&quot; 



&quot; Do,&quot; said he ; &quot; there are some remnants of 

 a ladder against the siding. Be sure of the floor 

 ing or you will come through. If you see a 

 friendly gleam sing out Sail ho ! 



I scrambled up as best I could, and found the 

 loft heaped with corn-husks and stalks that 



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