170 WAKE-ROBIN 
hunters, shouldered his axe, and set out, holding 
a straight course through the woods, and turning 
aside for neither swamps, streams, nor mountains, 
When he paused to rest he would mark some object 
ahead of him with his eye, in order that on getting 
up again he might not deviate from his course. His 
directors had told him of a hunter’s cabin about 
midway on his route, which if he struck he might 
be sure he was right. About noon this cabin was 
reached, and at sunset he emerged at the head of 
Dry Brook. 
After looking in vain for the line of marked 
trees, we moved off to the left in a doubtful, hesi- 
tating manner, keeping on the highest ground and 
blazing the trees as we went. We were afraid to 
go down hill, lest we should descend too soon; our 
vantage-ground was high ground. A thick fog com- 
ing on, we were more bewildered than ever. Still 
we pressed forward, climbing up ledges and wading 
through ferns for about two hours, when we paused 
by a spring that issued from beneath an immense 
wall of rock that belted the highest part of the 
mountain. There was quite a broad plateau here, 
and the birch wood was very dense, and the trees 
of unusual size. 
After resting and exchanging opinions, we all 
concluded that it was best not to continue our search 
incumbered as we were; but we were not willing to 
abandon it altogether, and I proposed to my com- 
panions to leave them beside the spring with our 
traps, while I made one thorough and final effort to 
