192 BIRCH BROWSINGS. 



making the usual circuitous journey between the two 

 places. To do this necessitated a march of ten or 

 twelve miles across several ranges of mountains and 

 through an unbroken forest, a hazardous under- 

 taking in which no one would join him. Even the 

 old hunters who were familiar with the ground dis- 

 suaded him and predicted the failure of his enterprise. 

 But having made up his mind, he possessed himself 

 thoroughly of the topography of the country from the 

 aforesaid hunters, shouldered his axe, and set out, 

 holding a straight course through the woods, and 

 turning aside for neither swamps, streams, nor mount- 

 ains. When he paused to rest he would mark some 

 object ahead of him with his eye, in order that on 

 getting up again he might not deviate from his 

 course. His directors had told him of a hunter's 

 cabin about midway on his route, which if he struck 

 he might be sure he was right. About noon this 

 cabin was reached, and at sunset he emerged at the 

 head of Dry Brook. 



After looking in vain for the line of marked trees, 

 we moved off to the the left in a doubtful, hesitating 

 manner, keeping on the highest ground and blazing 

 the trees as we went. We were afraid to go down 

 hill, lest we should descend too soon ; our vantage- 

 ground was high ground. A thick fog coming on, 

 we were more bewildered than ever. Still we pressed 

 forward, climbing up ledges and wading through 

 ferns for about two hours, when we paused by a 

 pring that issued from beneath an immense wall of 



