32 THE ADIRONDACK. 



go. I pushed on, however, trusting more to luck 

 than my own knowledge or sagacity. But night hav- 

 ing at length come down in earnest, every step was 

 taken at random. Heavy and disheartened, I sat down 

 on a log, and (thanks to my Alpine match-box,) soon 

 struck a light. It was 9 o'clock. Well, thinks I to 

 myself, it's only a little over six hours to daylight, and 

 I may as well stop and wait as to be knocking my 

 head against these trees without getting any nearer 

 home, nay, perhaps, farther off. Looking around, I 

 espied a knoll with a rock on it. Here, kindling a fire 

 to keep off the musquitoes and black flies that were 

 devouring me at a rate that would soon leave nothing 

 for the wolves to lunch on, I sat down and waited for 

 the leaden hours to wear away. It seems a very 

 trifling thing when we read about it, to pass a night 

 in the woods, especially when you know that the 

 beasts of prey which roam the forest, dare not attack 

 you — it is a trifling thing to a backwoodsman, but just 

 try it yourself once. I do not affirm that you will be 

 frightened; but as Lugarto was accustomed to say, you 

 will "be nervous" It was warm, and there was no 

 danger ; neither was I lost, for I knew a walk of an 

 hour or two in the morning would bring me out, yet I 



