114 BEACH GRASS 



night, but with a companion on whom I could 

 depend and with assured shelter at the end, al- 

 though there was none on the way, I had no need 

 to worry about my ability to accomplish the task. 

 We did not hurry and we stopped about halfway 

 in the lee of some spruces to rest and ingest a 

 few calories in the form of sweet chocolate. As 

 we neared the end of our journey, the roar of 

 the surf on the shore added to the tumult made 

 by the wind. After our two hours struggle, the 

 house looked inviting although it was dark and 

 cold. As we entered the shed, a pheasant, shel- 

 tered in its lee, went whirring off into the dark- 

 ness and the storm. We soon had a hot fire and 

 a hot supper and bid defiance to the storm, which 

 shook the house and roared about us like a baffled 

 beast. 



The Indian chieftain Rain-in-the-Face probably 

 understood the pleasure and stimulation derived 

 from the pelting of rain, and the still more pleas- 

 ureable sensation of driving snow in the face : 



''Give me to struggle with weather and wind 

 Give me to stride through the snow; 



