BIRCH BROWSINGS 



out. On the Beaver Kill, my companions 

 thought ; but, from the position of the sun, 

 I said, on the Mill Brook, about six miles 

 below our team ; for I remembered having 

 seen, in coming up this stream, a deep, wild 

 valley that led up into the mountains, like 

 this one. Soon the banks of the stream 

 became lower, and we moved into the woods. 

 Here we entered upon an obscure wood- 

 road, which presently conducted us into the 

 midst of a vast hemlock forest. The land 

 had a gentle slope, and we wondered why 

 the lumbermen and barkmen who prowl 

 through these woods had left this fine tract 

 untouched. Beyond this the forest was 

 mostly birch and maple. 



We were now close to the settlement, and 

 began to hear human sounds. One rod 

 more, and we were out of the woods. It 

 took us a moment to comprehend the scene. 

 Things looked very strange at first ; but 

 quickly they began to change and to put on 

 familiar features. Some magic scene-shift- 

 ing seemed to take place before my eyes, 

 till, instead of the unknown settlement 

 which I at first seemed to look upon, there 

 stood the farmhouse at which we had 

 stopped two days before, and at the same 



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