the complete writings-3-第15部分

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tle　hut；　where　no　one　can　stand　erect。　　The　rain　swirls　into　the　open　front；　and　wets　the　bottom　of　the　blankets。　　The　smoke　drives　in。　　We　curl　up；　and　enjoy　ourselves。　　The　guides　at　length　conclude　that　it　is　going　to　be　damp。　　The　dismal　situation　sets　us　all　into　good　spirits；　and　it　is　later　than　the　night　before　when　we　crawl　under　our　blankets；　sure　this　time　of　a　sound　sleep；　lulled　by　the　storm　and　the　rain　resounding　on　the　bark　roof。　　How　much　better　off　we　are　than　many　a　shelter…less　wretch！　　We　are　as　snug　as　dry　herrings。　　At　the　moment；　however；　of　dropping　off　to　sleep；　somebody　unfortunately　notes　a　drop　of　water　on　his　face；　this　is　followed　by　another　drop；　in　an　instant　a　stream　is　established。　He　moves　his　head　to　a　dry　place。　　Scarcely　has　he　done　so；　when　he　feels　a　dampness　in　his　back。　　Reaching　his　hand　outside；　he　finds　a　puddle　of　water　soaking　through　his　blanket。　　By　this　time；　somebody　inquires　if　it　is　possible　that　the　roof　leaks。　　One　man　has　a　stream　of　water　under　him；　another　says　it　is　coming　into　his　ear。　　The　roof　appears　to　be　a　discriminating　sieve。　　Those　who　are　dry　see　no　need　of　such　a　fuss。　　The　man　in　the　corner　spreads　his　umbrella；　and　the　protective　measure　is　resented　by　his　neighbor。　　In　the　darkness　there　is　recrimination。　　One　of　the　guides；　who　is　summoned；　suggests　that　the　rubber　blankets　be　passed　out；　and　spread　over　the　roof。　The　inmates　dislike　the　proposal；　saying　that　a　shower…bath　is　no　worse　than　a　tub…bath。　　The　rain　continues　to　soak　down。　　The　fire　is　only　half　alive。　　The　bedding　is　damp。　　Some　sit　up；　if　they　can　find　a　dry　spot　to　sit　on；　and　smoke。　　Heartless　observations　are　made。　　A　few　sleep。　　And　the　night　wears　on。　　The　morning　opens　cheerless。　The　sky　is　still　leaking；　and　so　is　the　shanty。　　The　guides　bring　in　a　half…cooked　breakfast。　　The　roof　is　patched　up。　　There　are　reviving　signs　of　breaking　away；　delusive　signs　that　create　momentary　exhilaration。　　Even　if　the　storm　clears；　the　woods　are　soaked。　　There　is　no　chance　of　stirring。　　The　world　is　only　ten　feet　square。

This　life；　without　responsibility　or　clean　clothes；　may　continue　as　long　as　the　reader　desires。　　There　are；　those　who　would　like　to　live　in　this　free　fashion　forever；　taking　rain　and　sun　as　heaven　pleases；　and　there　are　some　souls　so　constituted　that　they　cannot　exist　more　than　three　days　without　their　worldlybaggage。　　Taking　the　party　altogether；　from　one　cause　or　another　it　is　likely　to　strike　camp　sooner　than　was　intended。　　And　the　stricken　camp　is　a　melancholy　sight。　　The　woods　have　been　despoiled；　the　stumps　are　ugly；　the　bushes　are　scorched；　the　pine…leaf…strewn　earth　is　trodden　into　mire；　the　landing　looks　like　a　cattle…ford；　the　ground　is　littered　with　all　the　unsightly　dibris　of　a　hand…to…hand　life；　the　dismantled　shanty　is　a　shabby　object；　the　charred　and　blackened　logs；　where　the　fire　blazed；　suggest　the　extinction　of　family　life。　　Man　has　wrought　his　usual　wrong　upon　Nature；　and　he　can　save　his　self…respect　only　by　moving　to　virgin　forests。

And　move　to　them　he　will；　the　next　season；　if　not　this。　　For　he　who　has　once　experienced　the　fascination　of　the　woods…life　never　escapes　its　enticement：　in　the　memory　nothing　remains　but　its　charm。




VII

A　WILDERNESS　ROMANCE

At　the　south　end　of　Keene　Valley；　in　the　Adirondacks；　stands　Noon　Mark；　a　shapely　peak　thirty…five　hundred　feet　above　the　sea；　which；　with　the　aid　of　the　sun；　tells　the　Keene　people　when　it　is　time　to　eat　dinner。　　From　its　summit　you　look　south　into　a　vast　wilderness　basin；　a　great　stretch　of　forest　little　trodden；　and　out　of　whose　bosom　you　can　hear　from　the　heights　on　a　still　day　the　loud　murmur　of　the　Boquet。　　This　basin　of　unbroken　green　rises　away　to　the　south　and　southeast　into　the　rocky　heights　of　Dix's　Peak　and　Nipple　Top；the　latter　a　local　name　which　neither　the　mountain　nor　the　fastidious　tourist　is　able　to　shake　off。　　Indeed；　so　long　as　the　mountain　keeps　its　present　shape　as　seen　from　the　southern　lowlands；　it　cannot　get　on　without　this　name。

These　two　mountains；　which　belong　to　the　great　system　of　which　Marcy　is　the　giant　centre；　and　are　in　the　neighborhood　of　five　thousand　feet　high；　on　the　southern　outposts　of　the　great　mountains；　form　the　gate…posts　of　the　pass　into　the　south　country。　　This　opening　between　them　is　called　Hunter's　Pass。　　It　is　the　most　elevated　and　one　of　the　wildest　of　the　mountain　passes。　　Its　summit　is　thirty…five　hundred　feet　high。　　In　former　years　it　is　presumed　the　hunters　occasionally　followed　the　game　through；　but　latterly　it　is　rare　to　find　a　guide　who　has　been　that　way；　and　the　tin…can　and　paper…collar　tourists　have　not　yet　made　it　a　runway。　　This　seclusion　is　due　not　to　any　inherent　difficulty　of　travel；　but　to　the　fact　that　it　lies　a　little　out　of　the　way。

We　went　through　it　last　summer；　making　our　way　into　the　jaws　from　the　foot　of　the　great　slides　on　Dix；　keeping　along　the　ragged　spurs　of　the　mountain　through　the　virgin　forest。　　The　pass　is　narrow；　walled　in　on　each　side　by　precipices　of　granite；　and　blocked　up　with　bowlders　and　fallen　trees；　and　beset　with　pitfalls　in　the　roads　ingeniously　covered　with　fair…seeming　moss。　　When　the　climber　occasionally　loses　sight　of　a　leg　in　one　of　these　treacherous　holes；　and　feels　a　cold　sensation　in　his　foot；　he　learns　that　he　has　dipped　into　the　sources　of　the　Boquet；　which　emerges　lower　down　into　falls　and　rapids；　and；　recruited　by　creeping　tributaries；　goes　brawling　through　the　forest　basin；　and　at　last　comes　out　an　amiable　and　boat…　bearing　stream　in　the　valley　of　Elizabeth　Town。　　From　the　summit　another　rivulet　trickles　away　to　the　south；　and　finds　its　way　through　a　frightful　tamarack　swamp；　and　through　woods　scarred　by　ruthless　lumbering；　to　Mud　Pond；　a　quiet　body　of　water；　with　a　ghastly　fringe　of　dead　trees；　upon　which　people　of　grand　intentions　and　weak　vocabulary　are　trying　to　fix　the　name　of　Elk　Lake。　　The　descent　of　the　pass　on　that　side　is　precipitous　and　exciting。　　The　way　is　in　the　stream　itself；　and　a　considerable　portion　of　the　distance　we　swung　ourselves　down　the　faces　of　considerable　falls；　and　tumbled　down　cascades。　　The　descent；　however；　was　made　easy　by　the　fact　that　it　rained；　and　every　footstep　was　yielding　and　slippery。　　Why　sane　people；　often　church…members　respectably　connected；　will　subject　themselves　to　this　sort　of　treatment；be　wet　to　the　skin；　bruised　by　the　rocks；　and　flung　about　among　the　bushes　and　dead　wood　until　the　most　necessary　part　of　their　apparel　hangs　in　shreds；is　one　of　the　delightful　mysteries　of　these　woods。　　I　suspect　that　every　man　is　at　heart　a　roving　animal；　and　likes；　at　intervals；　to　revert　to　the　condition　of　the　bear　and　the　catamount。

There　is　no　trail　through　Hunter's　Pass；　which；　as　I　have　intimated；　is　the　least　frequented　portion　of　this　wilderness。　　Yet　we　were　surprised　to　find　a　well…beaten　path　a　considerable　portion　of　the　way　and　wherever　a　path　is　possible。　　It　was　not　a　mere　deer's　runway：　these　are　found　everywhere　in　the　mountains。　　It　is　trodden　by　other　and　larger　animals；　and　is；　no　doubt；　the　highway　of　beasts。　It　bears　marks　of　having　been　so　for　a　long　period；　and　probably　a　period　long　ago。　　Large　animals　are　not　common　in　these　woods　now；　and　you　seldom　meet　anything　fiercer　than　the　timid　deer　and　the　gentle　bear。　　But　in　days　gone　by；　Hunter's　Pass　was　the　highway　of　the　whole　caravan　of　animals　who　were　continually　going　backward；　and　forwards；　in　the　aimless；　roaming　way　that　beasts　have；　between　Mud　Pond　and　the　Boquet　Basin。　　I　think　I　can　see　now　the　procession　of　them　between　the　heights　of　Dix　and　Nipple　Top；　the　elk　and　the　moose　shambling　along；　cropping　the　twigs；　the　heavy　bear　lounging　by　with　his　exploring　nose；　the　frightened　deer　trembling　at　every　twig　that　snapped　beneath　his　little　hoofs；　intent　on　the　lily…pads　of　the　pond；　the　raccoon　and　the　hedgehog；　sidling　along；　and　the　velvet…　footed　panther；　insouciant　and　conscienceless；　scenting　the　path　with　a　curious　glow　in　his　eye；　or　crouching　in　an　overhanging　tree　ready　to　drop　into　the　procession　at　the　right　moment。　　Night　and　day；　year　after　year；　I　see　them　going　by；　watched　by　the　red　fox　and　the　comfortably　clad　sable；　and　grinned　at　by　the　black　cat；the　innocent；　the　vicious；　the　timid　and　the　savage；　the　shy　and　the　bold；　the　chattering　slanderer　and　the　screaming　prowler；　the　industrious　and　the　peaceful；　the　tree…top　critic　and　the　crawling　biter；just　as　it　is　elsewhere。　　It　makes　me　blush　for　my　species　when　I　think　of　it。　　This　charming　society　is　nearly　extinct　now：　of　the　larger　animals　there　only　remain　the　bear；　who　minds　his　own　business　more　thoroughly　than　any　person　I　know；　and　the　deer；　who　would　like　to　be　friendly　with　men；　but　whose　winning　face　and　gentle　ways　are　no　protection　from　the　savageness　of　man；　and　who　is　treated　with　the　same　unpitying　destruction　as　the　snarling　catamount。　　I　have　read　in　history　that　the　amiable　natives　of　Hispaniola　fared　no　better　at　the　hands　of　the　brutal　Spaniards　than　the　fierce　and　warlike　Caribs。　　As　society　is　at　present　constituted　in　Christian　countries；　I　would　rather　for　my　own　security　be　a　cougar　than　a　fawn。

There　is　not　much　of　romantic　interest　in　the　Adirondacks。　　Out　of　the　books　of　daring　travelers；　nothing。　　I　do　not　know　that　the　Keene　Valley　has　any　history。　　The　mountains　always　stood　here；　and　the　Au　Sable；　flowing　now　in　shallows　and　now　in　rippling　reaches　over　the　sands　and　pebbles；　has　for　ages　filled　the　air　with　continuous　and　soothing　sounds。　　Before　the　Vermonters　broke　into　it　some　three…　quarters　of　a　century　ago；　and　made　meadows　of　its　bottoms　and　sugar…　camps　of　its　fringing　woods；　I　suppose　the　red　Indian　lived　here　in　his　usual　discomfort；　and　was　as　restless　as　his　successors；　the　summer　boarders。　　But　the　streams　were　full　of　trout　then；　and　the　moose　and　the　elk　left　their　broad　tracks　on　the　sands　of　the　river。　But　of　the　Indian　there　is　no　trace。　　There　is　a　mound　in　the　valley；　much　like　a　Tel　in　the　country　of　Bashan　beyond　the　Jordan；　that　may　have　been　built　by　some　pre…historic　race；　and　may　contain　treasure　and　the　seated　figure　of　a　preserved　chieftain　on　his　slow　way　to　Paradise。　　What　the　gentle　and　accomplished　race　of　the　Mound…　Builders　should　want　in　this　sa