208 BIRCH BROWSINGS. 



bold leader was solving the problem in the right way 

 Down and down and still down we went, as if we 

 were to bring up in the bowels of the earth. It was 

 by far the steepest descent we had made, and we felt 

 a grim satisfaction in knowing that we could not re- 

 trace our steps this time, be the issue what it might. 

 As we paused on the brink of a ledge of rocks, we 

 chanced to see through the trees distant cleared land. 

 A house or barn also was dimly descried. This was 

 encouraging ; but we could not make out whether it 

 was on Beaver Kill or Mill Brook or Dry Brook, 

 and did not long stop to consider where it was. We 

 at last brought up at the bottom of a deep gorge, 

 through which flowed a rapid creek that literally 

 swarmed with trout. But we were in no mood to 

 catch them, and pushed on along the channel of the 

 stream, sometimes leaping from rock to rock, and 

 sometimes splashing heedlessly through the water, 

 and speculating the while as to where we would 

 probably come out. On the Beaver Kill, my com- 

 panions 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 hem- 

 lock forest. The land had a gentle slope, and we 

 wondered why the lumbermen and barkmen whi 



