ry
Neversink rush by. Its waters fell quite as rapidly as they rose,
and before sundown it looked as if we might have fishing again on
the morrow. We had better sleep that night than either night before,
though there were two disturbing causes,--the smoke in the early
part of it, and the cold in the latter. The "no-see-ems" left in
disgust; and, though disgusted myself, I swallowed the smoke as best
I could, and hugged my pallet of straw the closer. But the day
dawned bright, and a plunge in the Neversink set me all right again.
The creek, to our surprise and gratification, was only a little
higher than before the rain, and some of the finest trout we had yet
seen we caught that morning near camp.

We tarried yet another day and night at the old stable, but taking
our meals outside squatted on the ground, which had now become quite
dry. Part of the day I spent strolling about the woods, looking up
old acquaintances among the birds, and, as always, half expectant of
making some new ones. Curiously enough, the most abundant species
were among those I had found rare in most other localities, namely,
the small water-wagtail, the mourning ground warbler, and the
yellow-bellied woodpecker. The latter seems to be the prevailing
woodpecker through the woods of this region.

That night the midges, those motes that sting, held high carnival.
We learned afterward, in the settlement below and from the
barkpeelers, that it was the worst night ever experienced in that
valley. We had done no fishing during the day, but had anticipated
some fine sport about sundown. Accordingly Aaron and I started off
between six and seven o'clock, one going upstream and the other
down. The scene was charming. The sun shot up great spokes of light
from behind the woods, and beauty, like a presence, pervaded the
atmosphere. But torment, multiplied as the sands of the seashore,
lurked in every tangle and thicket. In a thoughtless moment I
removed my shoes and socks, and waded in the water to secure a fine
trout that had accidentally slipped from my string and was
helplessly floating with the current. This caused some delay and
gave the gnats time to accumulate. Before I had got one foot half
dressed I was enveloped in a black mist that settled upon my hands
and neck and face, filling my ears with infinitesimal pipings and
covering my flesh with infinitesimal bitings. I thought I should
have to flee to the friendly fumes of the old stable, with "one
s