190 BOONEVILLE TO SARATOGA. 



good water not far off, and one of the finest views of the 

 lake before iis. From the hill behind us, we frequently 

 gazed with unceasing delight upon scenes of forest and 

 lake and sunset which would have inspired an artist or 

 driven him mad at the unapproachable, unreproducible 

 beauty, grandeiu- and loveliness before him. To the woods- 

 man alone is all this reserved which brush and pencil at 

 best can only faultily suggest. And it is pitiful if the blue- 

 shirted fisherman who camps on such shores and amid such 

 scenes is not also in spirit something of the poet and the art- 

 ist. Nature is waiting here for the glance of her true- 

 lover's eyes. 



Ill short order, — for we were very tired and hungr}', — 

 tent ;ind stove were up, supi)er agoing, our bed of boughs 

 made, and we were " at home" again. It was surprising, in 

 moving camp, what a genuine home feeling a little cotton 

 cloth in the shape of an A tent gave us, especially when, 

 at the sami^ timt', the aroma of the coffee-pot ascended to 

 our nostrils. We also l)uilt our "sociable fire" just Ijelow 

 the bank near the water's edge, and after supper stretched 

 ourselves on the grass or leaned against the trees near it; 

 and while we watcheil the simset, and then the coming out 

 of the stars, and the camp-tires across the lake, we talked 

 over tiie events of the day and the elders smoked the even- 

 ing pii)e of content and peace. The day had l)eeu, on the 

 whole, a rather hard one for us all. John had uncomplain- 

 ingly l)orne the heavy loads over the carries and rowed 

 many miles. I had drawn all the drafts on my bod}' that 

 it would honor. And Ned, begging for heavy burdens — 



