PEPACTON 



there were three girls. For refreshments they bought 

 a couple of gallons of whiskey and a few pounds 

 of sugar. When the spree was over, and the ex- 

 penses were reckoned up, there was a shilling 

 a York shilling apiece to pay. Some of the 

 revelers were dissatisfied with this charge, and 

 intimated that the managers had not counted them- 

 selves in, but taxed the whole expense upon the rest 

 of the party. 



As I moved on, I saw Henry's sister and the 

 schoolmistress picking their way along the muddy 

 road near the river's bank. One of them saw me, 

 and, dropping her skirts, said to the other (I could 

 read the motions), "See that man!" The other 

 lowered her flounces, and looked up and down the 

 road, then glanced over into the field, and lastly 

 out upon the river. They paused and had a good 

 look at me, though I could see that their impulse to 

 run away, like that of a frightened deer, was strong. 



At the East Branch the Big Beaver Kill joins 

 the Delaware, almost doubling its volume. Here I 

 struck the railroad, the forlorn Midland, and here 

 another set of men and manners cropped out, 

 what may be called the railroad conglomerate over- 

 lying this mountain freestone. 



" Where did you steal that boat ? " and " What 

 you running away for ? " greeted me from a hand- 

 car that went by. 



I paused for some time and watched the fish 

 34 



