102 THE ST. EEGIS AND SARANACS. 



But finally, at a good round distance, we heard his gruff 

 voice, raised to a high key, shouting, "Here's the road! 

 Come over here! " We responded as quickly as we could, 

 following his voice as he occasionally called, and at length 

 found the trail. 



Halsey lighted up the jack, — I don't know why he didn't 

 do so before, — which enahled us to see oin- path. From 

 this time on, until we reached our boats, away we went, 

 Chris, leading the procession and Halsey with the jack 

 immediately after, at a break-neck pace. Chris, walked 

 as if he had four legs, and we, with only a pair apiece, 

 found difficulty in keeping up Avitli him. 



It was eleven o'clock at night when we reached the 

 Meacham Lake House, — wet, pretty cold from our ride on 

 the lake, thoroughly tired, — but with a dry bed to sleep in, 

 and a roof to cover us — two things which sundry forest 

 experiences have taught me to highly prize. There is 

 glory in "roughing it," but there is a vast deal of comfort, 

 when night comes, in having some place to lay your head 

 where the rain comes not, and the waters do not break 

 through and dampen. 



When we came to think of it by day-light, in dry 

 clothes, and our joints limbered up, we rejoiced that we 

 had seen Still-water, the pleasant, winding river, and the 

 forest scenery, — common enough in the Adirondacks, but 

 ever new and ever enticing to the lover of untamed nature. 

 Not the least of its attractiveness lies in the fact that it is 

 out of the 1)eaten path in the wilderness, and of the flow- 

 ing tides of tourists who annually pour through the 

 popular thoroughfares of the great forest, and pass by and 

 leave this secluded stream to the adventurous sportsman. 



