34 THE EXHILARATIONS OF THE ROAD 



tance to be traversed. If I am loaded to carry only 

 one mile and am compelled to walk three, I gen- 

 erally feel more fatigue than if I had walked six 

 under the proper impetus of pread justed resolution. 

 In other words, the w T ill or corporeal mainspring, 

 whatever it be, is capable of being wound up to 

 different degrees of tension, so that one may walk 

 all day nearly as easy as half that time, if he is pre- 

 pared beforehand. He knows his task, and he 

 measures and distributes his powers accordingly. It 

 is for this reason that an unknown road is always a 

 long road. We cannot cast the mental eye along it 

 and see the end from the beginning. We are fight- 

 ing in the dark, and cannot take the measure of our 

 foe. Every step must be preordained and provided 

 for in the mind. Hence also the fact that to van- 

 quish one mile in the woods seems equal to com- 

 passing three in the open country. The furlongs 

 are ambushed, and we magnify them. 



Then, again, how annoying to be told it is only 

 five miles to the next place when it is really eight 

 or ten! We fall short nearly half the distance, and 

 are compelled to urge and roll the spent ball the 

 rest of the way. In such a case walking degener- 

 ates from a fine art to a mechanic art ; we walk 

 merely ; to get over the ground becomes the one 

 serious and engrossing thought; whereas success in 

 walking is not to let your right foot know what 

 your left foot doeth. Your heart must furnish such 



