30 NORTH CAROLINA 



the horses browsed upon the bushes (if a 

 good appetite signified anything, Doc was 

 not yet on his way to the buzzards), and I, 

 after listening awhile to the masterly impro- 

 visations of a brown thrasher, went spying 

 about to see what birds might be hiding in 

 the underbrush. The hobbyist, say what you 

 please about him, is a lucky fellow. All 

 sorts of untoward accidents bring grist to 

 his mill ; and so it was this time. I heard 

 a sparrow's tseep^ and soon called into sight 

 two or three white-throats, — ordinary birds 

 enough, but of value here as being the only 

 ones found on the whole journey. I should 

 have missed them infallibly but for Doc's 

 misadventure. 



The driver returned at last, and with him 

 came a mountain farmer, — another good 

 neighbor, I was glad to see, — leading a 

 mule, which was quickly put into Doc's har- 

 ness. But what to do with Doc? "Leave 

 him," said I. " Lead him at the tail of the 

 wagon," said the farmer ; and the latter 

 advice prevailed. And very good advice it 

 seemed till we came to the first steepish 

 piece of road. Then the horse began to 

 hold back. " Look at him ! " exclaimed the 



