Up the Creek 115 



a hint of what was coming. I had hit upon 

 a most unlucky interim during which no man 

 should go upon a picnic. In despair and 

 empty-handed, we took to our boat and started 

 up the creek. It was a fortunate move, for 

 straightway the waters offered that which I 

 had vainly sought for on shore. Here were 

 flowers in abundance. The pickerel-weed 

 was in bloom, the dull-yellow blossoms of the 

 spatterdock dotted the muddy shores, bind- 

 weed here and there offered a single flower as 

 we passed by, and never was golden-dodder 

 'more luxuriant. Still, it is always a little dis- 

 appointing when Flora has the world to her- 

 self, and while we were afloat it was left to 

 a few crows and a single heron to prove that 

 she had not quite undisputed sway. 



Up the creek with many a turn and twist, 

 and now on a grassy knoll we land again, 

 where a wonderful spring pours a great 

 volume of sparkling water into the creek. 

 Here at last we have an object lesson that 

 should bear fruit when we recall the day. 

 Not a cupful of this clear cold water could 

 we catch but contained a few grains of sand, 

 and for so many centuries has this carrying of 

 sand grains been in progress that now a great 



