80 THE PINE-TREE, OR 



covered with myriads of fleas. Springing from my restless couch, 

 I shook and brushed them from my clothes ; and as all hopes of 

 rest were dismissed, I continued to exercise myself as well as I 

 could until the grizzly rays of early morning dispelled the dark- 

 ness which had so long held me a prisoner. As soon as it be- 

 came sufficiently light, I set out, in my stockings, in pursuit of 

 the camp, which I had failed to find the night previous. Pro- 

 ceeding up river about two miles, I came at once upon the camp. 

 It was Sabbath morning ; the inmates were indulging themselves 

 in a late nap, and, notwithstanding my urgent circumstances, I 

 resolved to wait a little, and give them a gentle surprise. You 

 may be assured that my wretched appearance fully qualified me 

 for the occasion. My feet were still partially covered with the 

 ragged remnants of my stockings ; my clothes were considerably 

 torn and thoroughly wet, and the shives of the old bough bed 

 were sticking into them nearly as thickly as a fleece of porcupine 

 quills ; my hat, rendered soft by the thorough drenching it had 

 received, settled down over my head and ears ; the black dye 

 from the hat had run down in little lines all over my face, leav- 

 ing their dry channels distinctly defined ; my long and tangled 

 hair, together with my haggard, care-worn countenance, rendered 

 me altogether an object which, under any circumstances, was 

 calculated to inspire terror. Stepping up to the camp, I gave a 

 sudden, loud rap, without any further demonstration, which awoke 

 the crew. As they naturally supposed themselves far away from 

 any human beings, a knock at their door thus early, and on a 

 Sabbath morning, the more surprised them, and awakened their 

 curiosity. 'Who or what the d — 1 can that be?' I overheard 

 some one within say. Presently a man, who, by-the-way, knew 

 me perfectly well, came to the door, and, with some caution, 

 opened it. I met him with a fixed and vacant stare, without ut- 

 tering a word. He returned my gaze with an expression of in- 

 quisitive astonishment. 



