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vilization　and　all　my　advantages　and　acquirements。　　It　seemed　pitiful　that　society　could　do　absolutely　nothing　for　me。　　It　was；　in　fact；　humiliating　to　reflect　that　it　would　now　be　profitable　to　exchange　all　my　possessions　for　the　woods　instinct　of　the　most　unlettered　guide。　　I　began　to　doubt　the　value　of　the　〃culture〃　that　blunts　the　natural　instincts。

It　began　to　be　a　question　whether　I　could　hold　out　to　walk　all　night；　for　I　must　travel；　or　perish。　　And　now　I　imagined　that　a　spectre　was　walking　by　my　side。　　This　was　Famine。　　To　be　sure；　I　had　only　recently　eaten　a　hearty　luncheon：　but　the　pangs　of　hunger　got　hold　on　me　when　I　thought　that　I　should　have　no　supper；　no　breakfast；　and；　as　the　procession　of　unattainable　meals　stretched　before　me；　I　grew　hungrier　and　hungrier。　　I　could　feel　that　I　was　becoming　gaunt；　and　wasting　away：　already　I　seemed　to　be　emaciated。　　It　is　astonishing　how　speedily　a　jocund；　well…conditioned　human　being　can　be　transformed　into　a　spectacle　of　poverty　and　want；　Lose　a　man　in　the　Woods；　drench　him；　tear　his　pantaloons；　get　his　imagination　running　on　his　lost　supper　and　the　cheerful　fireside　that　is　expecting　him；　and　he　will　become　haggard　in　an　hour。　　I　am　not　dwelling　upon　these　things　to　excite　the　reader's　sympathy；　but　only　to　advise　him；　if　he　contemplates　an　adventure　of　this　kind；　to　provide　himself　with　matches；　kindling　wood；　something　more　to　eat　than　one　raw　trout；　and　not　to　select　a　rainy　night　for　it。

Nature　is　so　pitiless；　so　unresponsive；　to　a　person　in　trouble！　　I　had　read　of　the　soothing　companionship　of　the　forest；　the　pleasure　of　the　pathless　woods。　　But　I　thought；　as　I　stumbled　along　in　the　dismal　actuality；　that；　if　I　ever　got　out　of　it；　I　would　write　a　letter　to　the　newspapers；　exposing　the　whole　thing。　　There　is　an　impassive；　stolid　brutality　about　the　woods　that　has　never　been　enough　insisted　on。　　I　tried　to　keep　my　mind　fixed　upon　the　fact　of　man's　superiority　to　Nature；　his　ability　to　dominate　and　outwit　her。　　My　situation　was　an　amusing　satire　on　this　theory。　　I　fancied　that　I　could　feel　a　sneer　in　the　woods　at　my　detected　conceit。　　There　was　something　personal　in　it。　　The　downpour　of　the　rain　and　the　slipperiness　of　the　ground　were　elements　of　discomfort；　but　there　was；　besides　these；　a　kind　of　terror　in　the　very　character　of　the　forest　itself。　　I　think　this　arose　not　more　from　its　immensity　than　from　the　kind　of　stolidity　to　which　I　have　alluded。　　It　seemed　to　me　that　it　would　be　a　sort　of　relief　to　kick　the　trees。　　I　don't　wonder　that　the　bears　fall　to；　occasionally；　and　scratch　the　bark　off　the　great　pines　and　maples；　tearing　it　angrily　away。　　One　must　have　some　vent　to　his　feelings。　　It　is　a　common　experience　of　people　lost　in　the　woods　to　lose　their　heads；　and　even　the　woodsmen　themselves　are　not　free　from　this　panic　when　some　accident　has　thrown　them　out　of　their　reckoning。　Fright　unsettles　the　judgment：　the　oppressive　silence　of　the　woods　is　a　vacuum　in　which　the　mind　goes　astray。　　It's　a　hollow　sham；　this　pantheism；　I　said；　being　〃one　with　Nature〃　is　all　humbug：　I　should　like　to　see　somebody。　　Man；　to　be　sure；　is　of　very　little　account；　and　soon　gets　beyond　his　depth；　but　the　society　of　the　least　human　being　is　better　than　this　gigantic　indifference。　　The　〃rapture　on　the　lonely　shore〃　is　agreeable　only　when　you　know　you　can　at　any　moment　go　home。

I　had　now　given　up　all　expectation　of　finding　the　road；　and　was　steering　my　way　as　well　as　I　could　northward　towards　the　valley。　　In　my　haste　I　made　slow　progress。　　Probably　the　distance　I　traveled　was　short；　and　the　time　consumed　not　long；　but　I　seemed　to　be　adding　mile　to　mile；　and　hour　to　hour。　　I　had　time　to　review　the　incidents　of　the　Russo…Turkish　war；　and　to　forecast　the　entire　Eastern　question；　I　outlined　the　characters　of　all　my　companions　left　in　camp；　and　sketched　in　a　sort　of　comedy　the　sympathetic　and　disparaging　observations　they　would　make　on　my　adventure；　I　repeated　something　like　a　thousand　times；　without　contradiction；　〃What　a　fool　you　were　to　leave　the　river！〃　　I　stopped　twenty　times；　thinking　I　heard　its　loud　roar；　always　deceived　by　the　wind　in　the　tree…tops；　I　began　to　entertain　serious　doubts　about　the　compass；when　suddenly　I　became　aware　that　I　was　no　longer　on　level　ground：　I　was　descending　a　slope；　I　was　actually　in　a　ravine。　　In　a　moment　more　I　was　in　a　brook　newly　formed　by　the　rain。　　〃Thank　Heaven！〃　I　cried：　〃this　I　shall　follow；　whatever　conscience　or　the　compass　says。〃　　In　this　region；　all　streams　go；　sooner　or　later；　into　the　valley。　　This　ravine；　this　stream；　no　doubt；　led　to　the　river。　　I　splashed　and　tumbled　along　down　it　in　mud　and　water。　　Down　hill　we　went　together；　the　fall　showing　that　I　must　have　wandered　to　high　ground。　　When　I　guessed　that　I　must　be　close　to　the　river；　I　suddenly　stepped　into　mud　up　to　my　ankles。　　It　was　the　road；running；　of　course；　the　wrong　way；　but　still　the　blessed　road。　　It　was　a　mere　canal　of　liquid　mud；　but　man　had　made　it；　and　it　would　take　me　home。　　I　was　at　least　three　miles　from　the　point　I　supposed　I　was　near　at　sunset；　and　I　had　before　me　a　toilsome　walk　of　six　or　seven　miles；　most　of　the　way　in　a　ditch；　but　it　is　truth　to　say　that　I　enjoyed　every　step　of　it。　　I　was　safe；　I　knew　where　I　was；　and　I　could　have　walked　till　morning。　　The　mind　had　again　got　the　upper　hand　of　the　body；　and　began　to　plume　itself　on　its　superiority：　it　was　even　disposed　to　doubt　whether　it　had　been　〃lost〃　at　all。




III

A　FIGHT　WITH　A　TROUT

Trout　fishing　in　the　Adirondacks　would　be　a　more　attractive　pastime　than　it　is　but　for　the　popular　notion　of　its　danger。　　The　trout　is　a　retiring　and　harmless　animal；　except　when　he　is　aroused　and　forced　into　a　combat；　and　then　his　agility；　fierceness；　and　vindictiveness　become　apparent。　　No　one　who　has　studied　the　excellent　pictures　representing　men　in　an　open　boat；　exposed　to　the　assaults　of　long；　enraged　trout　flying　at　them　through　the　open　air　with　open　mouth；　ever　ventures　with　his　rod　upon　the　lonely　lakes　of　the　forest　without　a　certain　terror；　or　ever　reads　of　the　exploits　of　daring　fishermen　without　a　feeling　of　admiration　for　their　heroism。　　Most　of　their　adventures　are　thrilling；　and　all　of　them　are；　in　narration；　more　or　less　unjust　to　the　trout：　in　fact；　the　object　of　them　seems　to　be　to　exhibit；　at　the　expense　of　the　trout；　the　shrewdness；　the　skill；　and　the　muscular　power　of　the　sportsman。　　My　own　simple　story　has　few　of　these　recommendations。

We　had　built　our　bark　camp　one　summer　and　were　staying　on　one　of　the　popular　lakes　of　the　Saranac　region。　　It　would　be　a　very　pretty　region　if　it　were　not　so　flat；　if　the　margins　of　the　lakes　had　not　been　flooded　by　dams　at　the　outlets；　which　have　killed　the　trees；　and　left　a　rim　of　ghastly　deadwood　like　the　swamps　of　the　under…world　pictured　by　Dore's　bizarre　pencil；and　if　the　pianos　at　the　hotels　were　in　tune。　　It　would　be　an　excellent　sporting　region　also　（for　there　is　water　enough）　if　the　fish　commissioners　would　stock　the　waters；　and　if　previous　hunters　had　not　pulled　all　the　hair　and　skin　off　from　the　deers'　tails。　　Formerly　sportsmen　had　a　habit　of　catching　the　deer　by　the　tails；　and　of　being　dragged　in　mere　wantonness　round　and　round　the　shores。　　It　is　well　known　that　if　you　seize　a　deer　by　this　〃holt〃　the　skin　will　slip　off　like　the　peel　from　a　bananaThis　reprehensible　practice　was　carried　so　far　that　the　traveler　is　now　hourly　pained　by　the　sight　of　peeled…tail　deer　mournfully　sneaking　about　the　wood。

We　had　been　hearing；　for　weeks；　of　a　small　lake　in　the　heart　of　the　virgin　forest；　some　ten　miles　from　our　camp；　which　was　alive　with　trout；　unsophisticated；　hungry　trout：　the　inlet　to　it　was　described　as　stiff　with　them。　　In　my　imagination　I　saw　them　lying　there　in　ranks　and　rows；　each　a　foot　long；　three　tiers　deep；　a　solid　mass。　The　lake　had　never　been　visited　except　by　stray　sable　hunters　in　the　winter；　and　was　known　as　the　Unknown　Pond。　　I　determined　to　explore　it；　fully　expecting；　however；　that　it　would　prove　to　be　a　delusion；　as　such　mysterious　haunts　of　the　trout　usually　are。　　Confiding　my　purpose　to　Luke；　we　secretly　made　our　preparations；　and　stole　away　from　the　shanty　one　morning　at　daybreak。　　Each　of　us　carried　a　boat；　a　pair　of　blankets；　a　sack　of　bread；　pork；　and　maple…sugar；　while　I　had　my　case　of　rods；　creel；　and　book　of　flies；　and　Luke　had　an　axe　and　the　kitchen　utensils。　　We　think　nothing　of　loads　of　this　sort　in　the　woods。

Five　miles　through　a　tamarack　swamp　brought　us　to　the　inlet　of　Unknown　Pond；　upon　which　we　embarked　our　fleet；　and　paddled　down　its　vagrant　waters。　　They　were　at　first　sluggish；　winding　among　triste　fir…trees；　but　gradually　developed　a　strong　current。　　At　the　end　of　three　miles　a　loud　roar　ahead　warned　us　that　we　were　approaching　rapids；　falls；　and　cascades。　　We　paused。　　The　danger　was　unknown。　　We　had　our　choice　of　shouldering　our　loads　and　making　a　detour　through　the　woods；　or　of　〃shooting　the　rapids。〃　Naturally　we　chose　the　more　dangerous　course。　　Shooting　the　rapids　has　often　been　described；　and　I　will　not　repeat　the　description　here。　　It　is　needless　to　say　that　I　drove　my　frail　bark　through　the　boiling　rapids；　over　the　successive　waterfalls；　amid　rocks　and　vicious　eddies；　and　landed；　half　a　mile　below　with　whitened　hair　and　a　boat　half　full　of　water；　and　that　the　guide　was　upset；　and　boat；　contents；　and　man　were　strewn　along　the　shore。

After　this　common　experience　we　went　quickly　on　our　journey；　and；　a　couple　of　hours　before　sundown；　reached　the　lake。　　If　I　live　to　my　dying　day；　I　never　shall　forget　its　appearance。　　The　lake　is　almost　an　exact　circle；　about　a　quarter　of　a　mile　in　diameter。　　The　forest　about　it　was　untouched　by　axe；　and　unkilled　by　artificial　flooding。　The　azure　water　had　a　perfect　setting　of　evergreens；　in　which　all　the　shades　of　the　fir；　the　balsam；　the　pine；　and　the　spruce　were　perfectly　blended；　and　at　intervals　on　the　shore　in　the　emerald　rim　blazed　the　ruby　of　the　cardinal　flower。　　It　was　at　once　evident　that　the　unruffled　waters　had　never　been　vexed　by　the　keel　of　a　boat。　　But　what　chiefly　attracted　my　attention；　and　amused　me；　was　the　boiling　of　the　water；　the　bubbling　and　breaking；　as　if　the　lake　were　a　vast　kettle；　with　a　fire　underneath。　　A　tyro　would　have　been　astonished　at　this　common　phe