164 WAKE-ROBIN 
space at the top, which the old ice-gods polished 
off so long ago. 
We found this mountain had a hollow in its back 
where the ground was soft and swampy. Some 
gigantic ferns, which we passed through, came 
nearly to our shoulders. We passed also several 
patches of swamp honeysuckles, red with blossoms. 
Our guide at length paused on a big rock where 
the Jand began to dip down the other way, and con- 
cluded that he had gone far enough, and that we 
would now have no difficulty in finding the lake. 
“Tt must lie right down there,” he said, pointing 
with his hand. But it was plain that he was not 
quite sure in his own mind. He had several times 
wavered in his course, and had shown considerable 
embarrassment when bearing to the left across the 
summit. Still we thought little of it. We were 
full of confidence, and, bidding him adieu, plunged 
down the mountain-side, following a spring run that 
we had no doubt led to the lake. 
In these woods, which had a southeastern expos- 
ure, I first began to notice the wood thrush. In 
coming up the other side I had not seen a feather 
of any kind, or heard a note. Now the golden 
trillide-de of the wood thrush sounded through the 
silent woods. While looking for a fish-pole about 
half way down the mountain, I saw a thrush’s nest 
in a little sapling about ten feet from the ground. 
After continuing our descent till our only guide, 
the spring run, became quite a trout brook, and its 
tiny murmur a loud brawl, we began to peer anx- 
