
          557.

"How far is the mountain from here?"  When near the station it was 4
a short distance farther it was 1½, then 3, then again 4 and one 6,
<s>finally we</s> the post-carrier told us 4.  When about half way we were
told that it was 4½ miles from the station and that we still had
2½ miles to go.  Whatever the distance, we thought it had grown
much longer since our trip last October, for to-day it seemed as if
we would never get there.  This of course could be accounted for
by the weather.  It was so close, that we felt tired, and in this
condition we felt as if we were making no headway.  One of the
men we met, after telling us the distance told us that last Sunday
a party of men, all "Dutch" [note at top of page: We afterwards acertained that they were a party of German scientists from the various departments at Washington - geological, botanical, geographical, <s>etc.</s> ornithological men.  The ignorant
man classed them as "Dutch" - o. Sancta simplissima!] were on the mountain and how they "climmed"
a tree to get a photograph of a bird's nest.  We learned through him
that Montgomery C. was [under the] local option [law] but that there were a great many 
"speak-easies" where drinks could be had.  It was 12 o'clock and we
still had some distance to go, when we decided to stop at a spring
on the roadside and eat some lunch, after which we felt in much better
condition.  This spring was a large one and the water ran-off rapidly.
Here were fine specimens of Medeola Virginiana. 
Many large bubbles of gas were noticed frequently rising from the 
bottom. What they were, bubbles of, we were not able to decide.
After this brief rest, we hastened to the foot of the mountain, which we reached
        