Music of the Wild 



so close I could focus six of them, the least large 

 enough to be considered unusual in broken wood, 

 on one small photographic plate. "Where several 

 sprang from a common base some of them were 

 forced to lean, but the great average grew skyward 

 straight as jiines, and in the stillest hour the wind 

 whispered among the interlaced branches, and in a 

 gale roared to droA\'n the A'oice of the thunder. 



Little trees beginning their upward struggle to 



reach the light caused me to feel that they were 



The Abid- destroying pictures of great lieauty. At last we 



ing Place f omjd r^^ elcA'atiou of some heiyht and climbinsf 



of the AI- . . . ^ ^ 



mighty it, Secured the view that awaited us. As soon as 

 we ^\'ere level with the top of the undergrowth, 

 that \\as a tangle in the most oj^en spaces, not 

 so dense Adhere the trees grew closer together, it 

 appeared to stretch away endlessly, making a vari- 

 egated, mossy, green floor that at a little distance 

 seemed sufficiently material to bear our weight. 

 Knowing tliis to be an illusion, I sent my soul jour- 

 neying, instead. CroAvding everywhere arose the 

 l)ig, A'ine-entwined tree trunks, stretching from 

 forty to seventy feet to their branching. The cool 

 air of this enclosed space betAveen the bush tops 

 and the tree branches had a spicy fragrance. The 

 carj^et of green velvet below and the roof of green 

 brandies above formed a dominant emerald note; 

 but it was melloAA'cd with tlie soft grays of the tree 

 trunks and tinted ^\\th tlie penetrant blue of tlie 



40 



