1 6 November A Shepherdess. 



forest which covers a hundred square miles ; its com- 

 plicated and difficult geography, not thoroughly known 

 to any human being ; its endless variety of hill and dale, 

 that it would take weeks of travel to explore in their 

 intricate detail. And then I reflected on the single hour 

 of daylight that remained to us one hour and that 

 we were not only unprovided with food, but had no 

 covering besides our light pedestrian dress. Alexis had 

 brought his gun. I had my tobacco, and a good pro- 

 vision of matches, and a little brandy in my flask ; but 

 in the way of food, not even so much as a biscuit. 



V. 



A Shepherdess Her Ignorance A Shepherd Lad I resolve to fol- 

 low a Rivulet Emerson's Feeling about the Forest That of Dante 

 How we were led by the Rivulet Our Situation Resolves for 

 the Future The Silence of the Woods A Wild Sow We kill a 

 little Pig Our Bonfire Signals Searchers Help reaches us 

 Our Geographical Situation. 



THE time was past when it might have been yet 

 possible to retrace our steps, and the only prac- 

 ticable issue before us was to get out of the forest as 

 we might. I knew that there were occasional openings, 

 little patches of tilled ground with rude habitations 

 for the woodmen, and in one of these openings we 

 should probably find a guide. We came at last to a 

 clearing of about five acres on the slope of a hill-side, 

 and from this place were able to get a view of the 

 surrounding country. All that was visible consisted 



