172 NARRATIVES. 



than the rocks with which Dante has loaded some of his unfor- 

 tunate sinners in purgatory. And so I fared slowly on, stop- 

 ping once in thirty or forty rods to rest, half inclined to throw 

 away my gun and burden, and yet impelled to their preser- 

 vation by a sort of native tenacity which was unwilling to 

 relax any part of my programme. 



By this time it was so dark that eyes were a superfluity. 

 The only method by which I could keep my path was, to be 

 sure that I was safe in the mud. If, at any time, I chanced to 

 set foot on dry land, I concluded at once that I had lost the 

 road ; and my progress could only be resumed by groping about 

 until my path was once more wet and miry. I sometimes 

 wonder how I ever succeeded in working my way through 

 such a labyrinth of difficulties ; and have gratefully attributed 

 it to the assistance of my guardian angel, who must have 

 been sensible that I was very much in need of his aid. 



As all things terrestrial, however, whether good or evil, 

 must at length come to an end, so in due time came the ter- 

 mination of my toilsome journey. After a period which then 

 seemed a great many hours in length, but which a cool retro- 

 spect convinces me must have been a much shorter period 

 of time, I staggered out of the woods, and sank exhausted on 

 the bank of Moose River. It is my firm conviction that, if 

 my life had been at stake, I could not have walked another 

 mile. So I lifted up my voice, and shouted vigorously for the 

 ferryman on the opposite side of the river, but I received no 

 reply. It was late at night, and he was doubtless sound 

 asleep long ere this. Then I essayed to awaken him by dis- 

 charging my rifle ; but, on snapping the locks of each barrel, 

 I found that the rain, which was still falling liberally, had so 

 dampened the priming as to make the attempt abortive. I 

 crawled under the shelter of a large hemlock, and finally, 

 after much awkward fumbling in the darkness, succeeded in 

 re-capping my rifle, and in pricking some dry powder into the 

 tubes. This being accomplished, I succeeded in discharging 

 both barrels, and was gratified to hear an answering shout in 

 return. In due time a boat appeared, and I was speedily 

 transferred to comparatively comfortable quarters, where rest 

 and shelter awaited me. 



