62 THE QUEST OF A THRUSH 



high country-wagon stage ; the many miles 

 dreary climb to the summit, where I was 

 met ; the two miles to " get in " through the 

 woods, over an impossible, worn-out corduroy 

 road, in which loose, wabbling logs alter- 

 nated with fathomless pitch-holes, in a shaky 

 old buggy constantly threatening dissolution, 

 with a horse too small to inspire confidence, 

 and the whole bridging an apparently bot- 

 tomless swamp. The passage was a series 

 of violent jerks, in every one of which it 

 seemed the vehicle would come to pieces, and 

 which soon drove the solitary passenger to 

 her feet, where she performed gymnastic 

 feats of jumping crevasses, balancing on 

 floating logs, scaling cliffs, and extricating 

 herself from pitfalls which shall be veiled 

 in oblivion. 



The house at which the dismal procession 

 at last arrived was a comfortable summer 

 cottage, with, however, the slight disadvan- 

 tages that the window-shades would not come 

 down and bedroom doors would not shut. 



" We 're so far from everybody," said the 

 smiling hostess, " we never think of drawing 

 down shades or locking doors," 



