THE FORESTERS. 31 



Before us now in huo-e extension rise 

 Dark wood-clad mountains of enormous size ; 

 Surrounding foofs their towering summits hide, 

 And sailing clouds, in silent grandeur, glide 

 Around their air}- cliffs. These we survey 

 As dull forbodings of a cheerless day. 

 Up steeps immense with laboring steps we bend, 

 Then down in hollow gulfs for miles descend. 

 Buried in depth of woods, obscure and dark, 

 Where pheasants drum, and angry squirrels bark; 

 W itfa these (though rain in streaming torrents poured) 

 Our pilot's pack abundantly we stored ; 

 And when, at length, the driving tempest cleared, 

 And through the woods a distant hut appeared, 

 There, though the sour inhospitable clown 

 Returned our smiles with many a surly frown, 

 Compelled by Hunger, that imperious lord, 

 We cooked our game, and shared our little hoard ; 

 And left the savage boor, whose looks conveyed 

 Dark hate and murder every move they made. 



Still through rude wilds with silent steps we steer, 

 Intent on game, all eager eye and ear; 

 Each opening turn, each dark recess survey, 

 Each mouldering heap that round tumultuous lay, 

 As o'er those Alpine steeps we slowly past; 

 But all was silent, solitary, vast! 

 No sound of distant farm assailed the ear; 

 No rising smoke ; no opening fields appear; 

 But each high summit gained, the eye was showa 

 Hills piled on hills in dreary prospect thrown. 



