A TRAMP IN THE CATSKILLS 79 



having made up his mind, he possessed himself thor- 

 oughly of the topography of the country from the 

 aforesaid hunters, shouldered his axe, and set out, 

 holding a straight course through the woods, and 

 turning aside for neither swamps, streams, nor moun- 

 tains. When he paused to rest he would mark some 

 object ahead of him with his eye, in order that on get- 

 ting up again he might not deviate from his course. 

 His directors had told him of a hunter's cabin about 

 midway on his route, which if he struck he might be 

 sure he was right. About noon this cabin was reached, 

 and at sunset he emerged at the head of Dry Brook. 



After looking in vain for the line of marked trees, we 

 moved off to the left in a doubtful, hesitating manner, 

 keeping on the highest ground and blazing the trees as 

 we went. We were afraid to go down hill, lest we 

 should descend too soon ; our vantage-ground was high 

 ground. A thick fog coming on, we were more bewil- 

 dered than ever. Still we pressed forward, climbing up 

 ledges and wading through ferns for about two hours, 

 when we paused by a spring that issued from beneath 

 an immense wall of rock that belted the highest part of 

 the mountain. There was quite a broad plateau here, 

 and the birch wood was very dense, and the trees of 

 unusual size. 



After resting and exchanging opinions, we all con- 

 cluded that it was best not to continue our search 

 incumbered as we were; but we were not willing to 

 abandon it altogether, and I proposed to my com- 

 panions to leave them beside the spring with our traps, 

 while I made one thorough and final effort to find the 

 lake. If I succeeded and desired them to come for- 

 ward, I was to fire my gun three times ; if I failed and 



