186 WAKE-ROBIN 
it was. We at last brought up at the bottom of a 
deep gorge, through which flowed a rapid creek that 
literally swarmed with trout. But we were in no 
mood to catch them, and pushed on along the chan- 
nel of the stream, sometimes leaping from rock to 
rock, and sometimes splashing heedlessly through 
the water, and speculating the while as to where 
we should probably come out. On the Beaver Kill, 
my companions thought; but, from the position of 
the sun, I said, on the Mill Brook, about six miles 
below our team; for I remembered having seen, in 
coming up this stream, a deep, wild valley that led 
up into the mountains, like this one. Soon the 
banks of the stream became lower, and we moved 
into the’ woods. Here we entered upon an obscure 
wood-road, which presently conducted us into the 
midst of a vast hemlock forest. The land had a 
gentle slope, and we wondered why the lumbermen 
and barkmen who prowl through these woods had 
left this fine tract untouched. Beyond this the 
forest was mostly birch and maple. 
‘We were now close to the settlement, and began 
to hear human sounds. One rod more, and we 
were out of the woods. It took us a moment to 
comprehend the scene. Things looked very strange 
at first; but quickly they began to change and to 
put on familiar features. Some magic scene-shift- 
ing seemed to take place before my eyes, till, in- 
stead of the unknown settlement which I at first 
seemed to look upon, there stood the farmhouse at 
which we had stopped two days before, and at the 
