PEEFACE 



I HAVE all the more pleasure in calling my book 

 after the title of the first chapter, " Pepacton," be- 

 cause this is the Indian name of my native stream. 

 In its watershed I was born and passed my youth, 

 and here on its banks my kindred sleep. Here, also, 

 I have gathered much of the harvest, poor though 

 it be, that I have put in this and in previous vol- 

 umes of my writings. 



The term " Pepacton " is said to mean " marriage 

 of the waters ; " and with this significance it suits 

 my purpose well, as this book is also a union of many 

 currents. 



The Pepacton rises in a deep cleft or gorge in the 

 mountains, the scenery of which is of the wildest 

 and ruggedest character. For a mile or more there 

 is barely room for the road and the creek at the bot- 

 tom of the chasm. On either hand the mountains, 

 interrupted by shelving, overhanging precipices, rise 

 abruptly to a great height. About half a century 

 ago a pious Scotch family, just arrived in this coun- 

 try, came through this gorge. One of the little boys, 

 gazing upon the terrible desolation of the scene, so 

 unlike in its savage and inhuman aspects anything 



