MY FIRST CAMP. 35 



lata, and back again through all its divisions and 

 ramifications, and all you will know about it will be 

 that it is a long-tailed decapod, and inhabits fresh- 

 water streams. 



Long-tailed decapod, forsooth ! 



Come with me, reader, and I will show you more of 

 crayfish and their ways than you can learn in a week 

 of books. Follow in my wake, or, as the path is 

 slippery, take good hold of my hand. The way leads 

 up hill and over rocks, wet and smooth, for perhaps a 

 mile. Don't mind the wet leaves that continually flap 

 in your face, or the vines and creeping ferns that 

 vex your feet. Take a good grip and come along. 

 In the language of the immortal bard (who, by the 

 way, never knew of crayfish like these) : 



" I prithee, let me bring thee where crabs grow." 



We may have completed a mile, when Marie 

 stopped: "Stay here, monsieur." I staid, while she 

 went behind a large rock and removed her shoes. 

 Then I was allowed to follow on until the path was 

 left, and we entered the deeper woods to descend to 

 the river. Opposite another huge rock she stopped 

 again. "Wait there, monsieur." Behind this rock 

 she darted with her little companion, and shortly re- 

 appeared. 



Satyrs and wood-nymphs ! I thought these girls 

 about as thinly clad as possible when they disap- 

 peared behind the rock, but I declare in all serious- 

 ness, they had left a large bundle of clothes behind. 



What a mysterious combination is woman ! And 

 there they stood, laughing and blushing, in a single 

 dress each, loosely gathered at the shoulders, and at 



