OFF FOR CRANBERRY LAKE. 217 



Dinner over, at Hermon, the collective Captain and 

 Oomniissaiy smoked. We all wrote and mailed our fare- 

 wells to the vain world l)ehind nsi, and left our names witli 

 the telegraph operator, with explicit instructions to hunt us 

 U}) wllitllersoe^'er we should wander, if telegrams came, 

 and to send means to bring us out of the wilderness, all or 

 singh^ as the case should require. 



The strong vehicle which was to convey us, with the 

 sturd}' steeds fresh for the long journey, wheeled up in 

 front of the hotel ; our luggage was deposited therein ; the 

 last things were looked after ; — but the 'Squire had to be 

 hunted up again. He was found, and we all got aboard. 

 But the 'Squire had forgotten his lantern and cigars, and 

 went off in search of them. After some further waiting it 

 was evident he was lost again, and again we hunted him 

 uj>. He had a faculty of not staying found a great while, 

 all through the trip. Reuben smoked, and a-hemed! He 

 was nervous at the delay. The veteran of many an expe- 

 dition had learned how precious mid-day moments are. 



Finally Ave were actually all aboard and off, in one jolly 

 load, at 1:20 P. .AI.. bound direct for the foot of (h-anberry 

 Lake, thirty six miles distant. The Captain lighted a 

 fresh cigar as Burnham cracked the whip, and we shouted 

 our good-byes to the assenil)led village men and boys on 

 the hotel piazza, and rolled dustily out of town forest- 

 ward. 



It was a hot day, the road rough and up and down hill, and 

 it was O: P. ^L, when we reached Clarksboro, twenty-two 

 miles from DeKalb Junction and well into the woods. 



