A MOUNTAIN-SIDE RAMBLE. 177 



ain not yet certain which, in some un- 

 accountable manner my feet found them- 

 selves again in the path. 



Now, then, I would carry out my original 

 intention, and I turned straight about. For 

 a while the path held clear. Then it was 

 blocked by a big tree that had toppled into 

 it lengthwise. I must go round the obstruc- 

 tion, and pick up the trail at the other end. 

 But the trail would not be picked up. It 

 had faded out or run into the ground. 

 Finally, when I was just on the point of 

 owning myself beaten, my eyes all at once 

 fell upon it, running along before me. A 

 second experience of the same kind set me 

 thinking how long it would take to go a 

 mile or two at this rate (it was already half 

 past four o'clock), even if I did not in the 

 end lose my way altogether. But I kept on 

 till I was stopped, not by a single windfall, 

 but by a tangle of half a dozen. This time 

 I hunted for a continuation of the path on 

 the further side till I was out of patience, 

 and then determined to be done with the 

 foolish business, and go back by the way I 

 had come. A very sensible resolve, but 

 when I came to put it into execution it 



