24 jock's lake. 



rious as the first l)almy breath of spring. But the next 

 moment I was nearly suffocated and strangling. I rushed 

 out. The punkies returned in stinging clouds, searching 

 every nook and crevice and seam in my clothing and 

 swarming about my head. Back to the snuidge I went - 

 then out -then in, -the horrors alternating. At length, 

 utterly overcome in the contest, I murmured to my friend, 

 as he slapped and rubbed himself and shared the smudge 

 with me, "Benson, I've come a great ways to be very 

 miserable! Must a man up here murder himself to save 



his life?" 



■ The humor had pretty nearly gone out of him, but he 

 showed his white teeth in an effort at a laugh, and replied, 

 -There's one hope left,-tar-oil! Let's go for it." And away 

 he went to the pile of luggage nearby and hunted up a big 

 black bottle. From this he poured out into his hand a 

 brownish, greasy liquid and rubbed it vigorously over his 

 face and hands, on his neck and well up into the roots of 

 his hair, doing which he gave forth odors which in town 

 would have l)roughtdown upon him the censures of the 

 board of health as a nuisance. 



"Try it! " said he. 



"Can't,— it smells so infernally. " 



- Y(m-ll like it, when you get used lo it. Children cry 



Cor it, up here. " 



The stings were driving me mad. I seized the big bottle, 

 and followed his example. Two sighs escaped me,-one at 

 the sickening smell,-one of great relief as the cloud of 

 winged sparks fell back from me in disgust, and I stood 



