TACOMA AND THE INDIAN LEGEND OF HAMITCHOU 



herbage. Only horse heads soon could be seen, mov- 

 ing about like their brother hippopotami, swimming in 

 sedges. 



To me it was luxury enough not to be a whip for a 

 time. Over and above this, I had the charm of a 

 quiet nooning on a bank of emerald turf, by a spring, 

 at the edge of a clump of evergreens. I took my 

 luncheon of cold salt pork and doughy biscuit by a 

 well of brightest water. I called in no proxy of tin 

 cup to aid me in saluting this sparkling creature, but 

 stooped and kissed the spring. When I had rendered 

 my first homage thus to the goddess of the fountain, 

 Mgle herself, perhaps, fairest of Naiads, I drank 

 thirstily of the medium in which she dwelt. A bub- 

 bling dash of water leaped up and splashed my visage 

 as I withdrew. Why so, sweet fountain, which I may 

 name Hippocrene, since hoofs of Klale have caused me 

 thy discovery ? Is this a rebuff ? If there ever was 

 lover who little merited such treatment it is I. "Not 

 so, appreciative stranger," came up in other bubbling 

 gushes the responsive voice of Nature through sweet 

 vibrations of the melodious fount. "Never a Nymph 

 of mine will thrust thee back. This sudden leap of 

 water was a movement of sympathy, and a gentle 

 emotion of hospitality. The Naiad there was offering 

 thee her treasure liberally, and saying that, drink as 

 thou wilt, I, her mother Nature, have commanded 

 my winds and sun to distil thee fresh supplies, and my 

 craggy crevices are filtering it in the store-houses, that 

 it may be offered to every welcome guest, pure and 

 cool as airs of dawn. Stoop down," continued the 

 voice, "thirsty wayfarer, and kiss again my daughter of 

 the fountain, nor be abashed if she meets thee half- 

 way. She knows that a true lover will never scorn his 

 love's delicate advances." 



In response to such invitation, and the more for 

 my thirsty slices of pork, I lapped the aerated tipple 

 in its goblet, whose stem reaches deep into the bubble 



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