ON THE MARCH. — ARNOLD'S. 163 



euce, I can tliink of uotliing more that I would provide for 

 a similar trip. 



But the packing is completed, it is nearl}^ two o'clock, 

 and we have fourteen miles through the woods to accom- 

 plish, before night, over a notably rough road; and John 

 has given the wora, ''all ready! " Our driver leads the way, 

 driving the pack-horse before him without rein, leaving 

 him to pick the path which his sagacity and experience 

 helps him to do better than a man could do it for him; Ned 

 is perched on the saddle horse and follows; I shoulder the 

 bundle of rods and keep at the horse's heels; while John 

 brings up the rear with the "Hunters' Pet " in his hand. 



Nothing good could be said of the road, and nothing 

 worse than that it was after the fashion of wilderness 

 roads. It was through a dense forest, a mere wagon track 

 full of mud-holes, with rocks, roots, hills, and corduroy 

 bridges. The passage is sometimes made, at the driest 

 season, with the " buck -board"' wagon, but horse-back 

 riding or walking is preferable. Ladies have passed over 

 the road— American ladies at that— but they do not go at 

 the break-neck speed that we went. We made the fourteen 

 miles in four hours and twenty minutes; and fresh from 

 my office, I managed, without detriment or great fatigue, 

 to walk ten miles of the fourteen. 



Before reaching Old Forge, and two miles distant, we 

 passed the old " Arnold Place," famous in its day as the 

 favorite resort of sportsmen of the old school, but now gone 

 to decay and utterly abandoned. It is, indeed, the last 

 house of the little settlement commenced by Herreshoff, 



