118 ADVENTURES IN THE WILDERNESS. 



scientioiisly opposed to dancing. I never danced. 

 I did n't want to learn. I felt it was wicked for 

 me to be hopping around on that root so. What 

 an example, I thought, if John should see me ! 

 What would my wife say ? What would my dea- 

 cons -say ? I tried to stop. I could n't. I had 

 an astonishing dislike to sit down. I thought I 

 would dance there forever, rather than sit do^vn, — 

 deacons or no deacons. The basket now weighed 

 any imaginable number of pounds. The trout 

 were leaping about my head, as if in their native 

 element. The gridiron was in such rapid motion, 

 that it was impossible to distinguish the bars. 

 There was, apparently, a whole litter of pigs in the 

 pork-bag. I could not stand it longer. I con- 

 cluded to rest awhile. I wanted to do the thing 

 gracefully. I looked around for a soft spot, and 

 seeing one just behind me, I checked myself. My 

 feet flew out from under me. They appeared to be 

 rmusually light. I don't remember that I ever sat 

 down quicker. The motion was very decided. 

 The only difficulty I observed was, that the seat I 

 had gracefully settled tato had no bottom. The 

 position of things was extremely picturesque. 

 The oars were astride my neck, as usual. The 

 trout-pail was bottom up, and the contents lying 

 about almost anywhere. The boots were hanging 

 on a dry limb overhead. A capital idea. I thought 

 of it as I was in the act of sitting down. One 



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