34 THE ADIRONDACK. 



sun rise from the summit, but the heavens grew dark- 

 er every moment, warning us to find shelter for the 

 night. About 5 o'clock we left the top and went hel- 

 ter-skelter down the precipitous sides. After going at 

 a break-neck pace for several miles over rocks, along 



ravines and through the bushes, S th shouting at 



every leap "go-in-down" we at length stopped and be- 

 gan to peel bark to cover us for the night, for we were 

 twelve miles from a clearing, and it was getting dark. 

 Soon the axe resounded through the forest, and tree 

 after tree came to the earth to furnish us fuel. " Every 

 man must pick his own bed," cried our guide ; for he 

 had his hands full to erect a shanty. Our knapsacks 

 were laid aside, and we scattered ourselves among the 

 balsam trees with knife in hand to cut boughs to sleep 

 on. The mossy ground was damp, and I picked me a 

 thick couch and stretched myself upon it while supper 

 was preparing. Our fire was made of logs more than 

 twenty feet long, and as the flames arose and caught 

 the spruce trees they shot up in pyramids of flames, 

 crackling in the night air like so many fire-crackers. 

 One dry tree took fire, and I asked if it might not burn 

 in two during the night and fall on us. Cheney 

 walked around it to ascertain the way it leaned, then 



