364 THE ADIRONDACK. 



I was not sorry to break up camp, and though the 

 guides evidently wanted to turn back, I had set my 

 heart on Mud Lake, notwithstanding its repugnant name, 

 for reasons of my own. I was convinced that a trip to 

 it would be an episode in the expedition. Two of our 

 guides were willing to undertake anything we asked, 

 still none of them was particularly fond of hard work. 

 Guides do not understand the fun of tramping day after 

 day over rocks and logs and bogs, when you can have 

 a comfortable shanty on a beautiful lake by a cool 

 spring, with plenty of fish and deer within reasonable 

 reach, to take which only a moderate amount of exercise 

 is necessary. They like to shift occasionally from point 

 to point by way of variety, but if you want to be popu- 

 lar among these men, don't follow my example. They 

 think my curiosity is quite out of proportion to my com- 

 mon sense. 



Tours truly. 



