190 WALL STREET AND THE WILDS 



directions I had received, sometimes sitting on 

 the rail that served the animal for a backbone and 

 at other times walking, wading, or wallowing 

 beside him. 



I found Dr. Sloane and was hospitably wel- 

 comed by him until I told him my errand, after 

 which it looked for a time as if I should best con- 

 sult my comfort by walking out into the storm. 

 I don't know what he suspected me of, or, rather, 

 I don't know what he didn't suspect me of. His 

 attitude was that of a moonshiner whom a casual 

 caller had requested to show him his still. But 

 at heart he was hospitable and slowly unbent. I 

 told of the hospitality of a countryman of his, a 

 smoking car acquaintance of an hour, who had 

 taken me from the train, almost by force, to his 

 home in Henderson and had given me ten days of 

 an unending round of excitement and pleasure, 

 of quail and wild turkey shooting, of fox hunting 

 and rabbit chasing from the time I was awakened 

 in the morning down to my host's final appear- 

 ance at night at my bedside with a big tumbler of 

 egg-nog for a nightcap. 



