The Rain Had Now
Set In With Persistence, And Suddenly I Became Aware That It Was
Growing Dark; And I
Said to myself, "If you don't wish to spend the
night in this horrible chasm, you'd better escape speedily."
Fortunately
I reached a place where the face of the precipice was
bushgrown, and with considerable labor scrambled up it.
Having no doubt that I was within half a mile, perhaps within a few
rods, of the house above the entrance of the gorge, and that, in any
event, I should fall into the cart-path in a few minutes, I struck
boldly into the forest, congratulating myself on having escaped out
of the river. So sure was I of my whereabouts that I did not note
the bend of the river, nor look at my compass. The one trout in my
basket was no burden, and I stepped lightly out.
The forest was of hard-wood, and open, except for a thick undergrowth
of moose-bush. It was raining, - in fact, it had been raining, more
or less, for a month, - and the woods were soaked. This moose-bush is
most annoying stuff to travel through in a rain; for the broad leaves
slap one in the face, and sop him with wet. The way grew every
moment more dingy. The heavy clouds above the thick foliage brought
night on prematurely. It was decidedly premature to a near-sighted
man, whose glasses the rain rendered useless: such a person ought to
be at home early.
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