SOME EXPEDIENCES IN CAMP LIFE. 133 



the former was the great appreciator of Van's wit. Jerry whom I 

 have somewhat described, was the greenest fellow ever seen — always 

 getting into trouble and meeting with unpleasant mishaps, and 

 Avhose one great friend was big, clumsy Howard, the chief of axe- 

 men, although the latter was continually getting poor Jerry into 

 traps. 



When I reached the camp Jerry was just recovering from the 

 effects of too much curiosity, having undertaken to explore a hornets 

 nest with the end of his foot, after Howard had said it was a nest of 

 silk worms. In spite of this and other pitfalls laid for his unwary 

 feet, his faith in Howard was implicit, and when, one day, we were 

 crossing the river on foot, and little Jerry with the lunch basket was 

 perched on Howard's shoulders, the latter stopped in the middle of 

 the stream and said very gravely, "you'll have ter git down, Jerry, 

 while I spit on my hands," why Jerry, just as gravely, got down into 

 water up to his neck, and afterward had to trudge back to camp 

 for a fresh lunch. 



Van had a beautiful voice, and was always willing to exercise it. 

 His chief pleasure in life seemed to be to sing the most intensely 

 lovesick songs to Miss Mollie with such a "con amore " expression 

 that her innocent face would be suffused with blushes and her man- 

 ner become very conscious. The two of them would go rowing on 

 moonlight nights, and saunter home from the water in the most 

 love-like fashion. 



Poor Miss Mollie! Moonlight plays the mischief with sentimen- 

 tal people. 



As the days went by, we were getting farther and farther away 

 from camp with our work, and to our sorrow it became necessary to 

 think of moving down stream to a more convenient location. 



The day before we were to leave (the 31st of August, which I will 

 never forget;) a photographer came out from Wytheville to take 

 pictures of the camp, and after the tents of Little Dick and Porter, 

 with their occupants were transferred to the plates, the whole party 

 stood around Purgatoiy and struck graceful attitudes for the final 

 picture. 



Hardly had the negatives been secured before it began to rain, 

 and hy noon the water came down in torrents. By nightfall, Crip- 

 ple Creek Avas a roaring, surging river, but we were so high above 

 the average water mark that we felt no uneasiness. 



