78 THE PINE-TREE, OR 



I felt some solicitude to reach the river before it became dark, 

 but the roughness of the road prevented me from going faster 

 than a walking pace, and, ere I had accomplished the journey 

 through the forest, the rain poured down in torrents. The thunder 

 of heaven's artillery was tremendous, and the shooting chains of 

 fire hissed through the tops of the trees like darting fiery serpents, 

 here and there spending their force upon the lofty spire of some 

 gigantic Pine, splitting and shivering its trunk into thousands of 

 pieces, and strewing them far away upon the ground. Night, 

 hastened by the gathering tempest, wrapped the whole scene in 

 profound darkness ; thus, amid the deafening peals of thunder, 

 the darting forks of lightning which shot around me in every di- 

 rection, and torrents of rain, my horse groped his way silently 

 along, bearing me upon his back. At length, through much dan- 

 ger, I reached the channel of the river, to encounter new dangers 

 and difficulties. 



" When I entered the channel, the rain had not materially af- 

 fected the amount of water then flowing ; but I had not proceed- 

 ed far when the swollen and foaming current, which had ac- 

 cumulated from hill-sides and numerous brooks, rushed by me, 

 rendering riding imminently hazardous. To be prepared for the 

 worst, I divested myself of my boots and the horse of his saddle. 

 In vain did I strain my eyes to gain a glimpse of the camp each 

 time the lightning dispelled the darkness, which gave me a mo- 

 mentary glimpse of all around. Concluding at length that I had 

 gone too far down the river, I turned my horse and breasted the 

 foaming current, resolving to renew my exertions in an up-river 

 course. But the water by this time was so high, and the chan- 

 nel so treacherous, that I concluded to gain the shore of the 

 stream, and make my way, if possible, along its banks, though 

 densely studded with trees and bushes growing in the wildest 

 confusion. Owing to the precipitousness of the banks, I was un- 

 able to gain my object, and was therefore compelled to remain 



