204 THE ADIRONDACK. 



desert, occupied by two men, who dwell thus shut 

 out from civilized life. 



These two cabins are the only ones on this whole 

 fifty miles of coast,* and the two hunters that 

 occupy them the only inhabitants that are or have 

 been on the shore for the last nine years. "With- 

 out a wife or child they have lived here winter 

 and summer, as ignorant of what is going on in the 

 great world without, and as indifferent to it as the 

 savage of the Rocky Mountains. One of them was 

 once a wealthy manufacturer ; but overtaken by suc- 

 cessive misfortunes, he at length fled to the wilder- 

 ness, where he has ever since lived. There is also a 

 rumor, of some love adventure — of blasted affections 

 followed by morbid melancholy, which is probably 

 " ower true" — being the cause of this strange self- 

 exile. 



However that may be, here he lives, and here he is 

 likely to live and be buried. These two Robinson Cru- 

 soes have cleared about ten acres of land, on which 

 they raise such vegetables as they need, while the 

 fishing line and rifle supplies them with meat. An 

 easy life is theirs — no taxes to pay — no purchases to 

 * There air others now. 



