New-York tribune., 1895-08-04
COLUMBUS.
A bthMthFALa

wherein The foot sinks into black niud at every
step but where there are what columbus '"'
miiiarly calls "fussocks" here ana thefe' '"p"''
bus springs from one Of these tnssofks - H"'
other and thus gets over The grounn WIN '"s'
10 himself but Their he is boy, ana he - Dare
footed
am not boy and not barefooteh'
have ON heavy rubber boots and sklrts' pu'
have brave spirit; | am resolved 10 io'io"
Columbus to victory or death. AS toI on pe
hind my guide | recall Gertrude's words a'
partlng a few hours ago. nay, not yet TWO
hours gone by
.Tf there was ev0. an idiot In the world she
had begun, bat there l had stopped her.
knew well enough what she was going 10 say
and did not wish to hear it,
Sometimes Columbus looks behind and says
'Why don't ye come along?' and then 'e'i
him that am coming. Once. having giahceu a.
my face he had the grace to stop on 'ussocN
and await my approach. as persls'eh'i' eo".
tinued to put my boots down into the mud and
pull them out.
u guess you're sorry you started. amt ye?'
he asked
mo" answered I'm glad. I'm having a
beautiful time. What are you stopping Tor!
'Nothin" he replied. and went on
When another half hour had passed l called
to know where the brook was. and to say tha'
7 should suppose all of these mudholes would
have hornpout in them. He then informed me
that he want gon for pout. and that the
brook was over the other side Of White Pine
Hill
Then why did you come round through TINS
meadow? This isn't the direct way TO White
Pine HILL
There was so much asperity in my voice that
Columbus stopped short On a tussock. ana
again waded up to him.
ITS Jest as straight's you can come from
Tim Whites: n l had to git a rod for you at
Tins You're gittn tired, amt ye?'
He put this question, not with anxiety. but
with an unmistakable exultation in his tone
.Tired?" l exclaimed in the greatest surprise
mot In the least. l don't remember when I've
had such pleasant walk. Is 1t as nice as this
all the way?
The bov almost gasped as I said this. l looked
him full in the face as l spoke He hesita'ed
an instant before he said that he didn't know
whether I'd think the paster was nice or not
but If / didn't care. he guessed we'd turn off
TO the paster now.
So we turned off. and after what seemed
mile. but what was really quarter OF that
distance We took our feet permanently out OF
the bog and put Their on dry land
II was then that my conviction became firmer
Than ever that I need not have gone into that
meadow at all. l wonder what the mosquitoes
there live on; ordinarily, mean, for know what
sustained them while we were present couid
not make even a pretence OF fighting these IN
sects while l pulling my feet up from the
soil but now l gave myself up to the struggle
with them, for they followed us-Coumbus
walked in his own little cloud Of them. and
In mine He didn't seem to mind their bites.
His legs were wonderful to look at. what with
the black mud and the close companies OF his
winged attendants l walked behind him. and
sometimes lost myself in wonder at his gifts
They were not like my gifts, and for the first
time l envied him.
II Columbus pushed through thicket the
MOSQUITOES would fly up just long enough for
their victim to pass through, then would settle
down again with calmness and persistence
that were admirable
When recall this fishing excursion and try
TO write about it with difficulty think Of
ANYTHING at first but Columbus's legs with the
mud and the mosquitoes on them. | seem to be
haunted by the sight. When l confided this fact
to Gertrude she remarked that she supposed 1t
was a case of abnormal obsession. and she was
,,nkind enough to add that IT good enough
for me- This she said to | sat the next
day In the large armchair in the shaded sitting
room. I could not see my companion. FOR had
my entire face bound up in a linen cloth wet in
extract Of witch hazel. This application was not
put on originally for mosquito bites but for
poison. The following morning my face and
hands were a "sight to see" and they would
have been a sight with mere bites, but dog
wood had done the rest
Gertrude did everything for me; she was un-
wearied in renewing the application Of the
witch hazel yet somehow l had feeling that
she was wishing all the time to repeat that 1t
was good enough for me.
But / appear to have gone ahead Of my
story. have a well-founded belief that Colum-
bus remembered that had once said that dog
wood poisoned me. and that why he led
me among the branches of II. was already In
the middle of the thicket before noticed whae
] was In Then Columbus expressed great re-
gret for having gone that way. but said that
there want nothn that pizened him.
When he gave this information ! had a
very strong wish to find something that would
poison him. i know this wish was wrong and
] am trying to repent Of 1t.
It was not until the very last OF the after
noon that we came out on the other side OF
White Pine Hill. where there was trout brook.
Then Columbus sa. down stone and /
sat down on another stone. The mosquitoes
had followed us.
Columbus opened his worm box and made Sc
lections from II. But as he was doing this he
said that he didn't spose should do much
with worms anyway.
Then what did you bring them for? And
why do you keep digging worms all the time
when you ought to be doing something elsc?'
asked these questions sharply that the
boy began to put his elbow up to ward of a
blow. 1t Is certainly very trying to have hin,
put up his elbow and you can hardly be sure.
after he has done II. that you have not struck