WARWICK WOODLANDS. 55 



long hills, and very awkward bridges in the valleys, to the 

 north-westward of the village. 



Five miles brought us into a pretty little village lying at the 

 base of another ridge of what might almost be denominated 

 mountains, save that they were cultivated to the very top. As 

 we paused on the brow of this, another glorious valley spread 

 out to our view, with the broad sluggish waters of the Wallkill 

 winding away, with hardly any visible motion, toward the north- 

 east, through a vast tract of meadow-land covered with high, 

 rank grass, dotted with clumps of willows and alder brakes, and 

 interspersed with large, deep swamps, thick-set with high grown 

 timber ; while far beyond these, to the west, lay the tall varie- 

 gated chain of the Shawangunk mountains. 



Rattling briskly down the hill, we passed another thriving 

 village, built on the mountain side ; made two or three sharp 

 ugly turns, still going at a smashing pace, and coming on the 

 level ground, entered an extensive cedar swamp, impenetrable 

 above with the dark boughs of the evergreen colossi, and be- 

 low with half a dozen varieties of rhododendron, calmia, and 

 azalia. Through this dark, dreary track, the road ran straight 

 as the bird flies, supported on the trunks of trees, constituting 

 what is here called a corduroy road ; an article which, praise be 

 to all the gods, is disappearing now so rapidly, that this is the 

 only bit to be found in the civilized regions of New York and 

 bordered to the right and left by ditches of black tenacious 

 mire. Beyond this we scaled another sandy hillock, and pulled 

 up at a little wayside tavern, at the door of which Harry set 

 himself lustily to halloa. 



" Why, John ; hilloa, hillo ; John Riker !" 



Whereon, out came, stooping low to pass under the lintel of 

 a very fair sized door, one of the tallest men I ever looked upon ; 

 his height, too, was exaggerated by the narrowness of his chest 

 and shoulders, which would have been rather small for a man 

 of five foot seven ; but to make up for this, his legs were mon- 

 strous, his arms muscular, and his whole frame evidently power- 

 ful and athletic, though his gait was slouching, and his air sin- 

 gularly awkward and unhandy. 



" Why, how do, Mr. Archer ? I hadn't heerd you was in 

 these pairts arter woodcock, I reckon ?" 



" Yes, John, as usual ; and you must go along with us, and 

 show us the best ground." 



" Well, you see, I carn't go to-day for Squire Breawn, and 



