164 WAKE-ROBIN 



space at the top, which the old ice- gods polished 

 off so long ago. 



We found this mountain had a hollow in its back 

 where the ground was soft and swampy. Some 

 gigantic ferns, which we passed through, came 

 nearly to our shoulders. We passed also several 

 patches of swamp honeysuckles, red with, blossoms. 



Our guide at length paused on a big rock where 

 the land began to dip down the other way, and con- 

 cluded that he had gone far enough, and that we 

 would now have no difficulty in finding the lake. 

 "It must lie right down there," he said, pointing 

 with his hand. But it was plain that he was not 

 quite sure in his own mind. He had several times 

 wavered in his course, and had shown considerable 

 embarrassment when bearing to the left across the 

 summit. Still we thought little of it. We were 

 full of confidence, and, bidding him adieu, plunged 

 down the mountain-side, following a spring run that 

 we had no doubt led to the lake. 



In these woods, which had a southeastern expos- 

 ure, I first began to notice the wood thrush. In 

 coming up the other side I had not seen a feather 

 of any kind, or heard a note. Now the golden 

 trillide-de of the wood thrush sounded through the 

 silent woods. While looking for a fish-pole about 

 half way down the mountain, I saw a thrush's nest 

 in a little sapling about ten feet from the ground. 



After continuing our descent till our only guide, 

 the spring run, became quite a trout brook, and its 

 tiny murmur a loud brawl, we began to peer anx- 



