Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-10-27

died slough, whence my course lay
homeward down the mountain side.
At the northwestern corner of the
marsh a little water filtered through
the soil, dripped into a patch of bright
green moss, trickled on into a bed OF
spruce needles, and trickled out again
into a little hollow beneath a fallen
tree. Into this hollow so many leaves
had fallen that they almost hid the
bucketful of water it contained, but
at one spot on it's rim, slightly lower
than the rest, crossed by a silver
thread of water, it had already worn
for itself a tiny channel, and down
this it ran through without sufficient
force TO move the little pebbles from
between which it had washed the soil.
Forty feet lower down IN the hillside
another little rill of similar origin
joined the first. and with united force
they pushed, aside a tpft of coarse
grass growing close to the channel,
and moved on down the hill with ever
increasing speed. This was the begin
ming of a trout brook, and as it was
going in my direction | followed it.
One can hardly believe, without
actually watching its progress, how
quickly such a trout brook grows. In
a distance of less than a mile this
stream | was following had grown
from a few drops trickling through the
moss to a noisy, splashing, squirting,
foaming force of water.
Presently | came TO a spot where a
large bowlder literally split the brook
in two. turning one stream to the
right and the other to the left, to meet
again some 80 yards below, forming
a little island. The latter was covered
with trees, and on the ground be-
meath them were ferns and MOSES Of
many kinds. I had been almost un
consciously looking for a spot in which
to lie down and watch the brook, and
This green little island seemed the very
place. | sprang across the stream
it was less than six feet wide-and lay
at full length upon the moss with my
elbows resting on a fiattish stone and
with my chin in the palms of my
1dUuS. 1 wac lOOhil6 up ONlCaitl, anu
could see three of the tiny waterfalls
| had lately passed. The nearest was
the largest and the most beautiful, the
small cascade of sparkling water leap
ing from the edge of a shelving rock
to a clear pool fully two feet below.
From the bank and close to the fall
many ferns were growing, and as they
we're pelted with the spray, they glis
tened and nodded. Above the sound OF
the water | could hear the loud tap
ping of a pileated ~woodpecker. and as
I turned my head to try and get a
glimpse of him | saw a deer walking
among the trees. He was evidently
a fawn of the present year, but he had
lost his spots and his red coat, and
was already attired in winter gray.
He sauntered along. o dropping his
head to nibble a tuft of grass; now
lifting it to browse on the leaves OF
some twig above his head. Soon he
reached the brook, and stood. Just
above the nearest waterfall, quite I'M
conscious of any presence but his
own He shifted the water. took a
drink. and then proceeded with his
toilet. First he raised his right hind
leg. and craning his neck backwards
to meet it, daintily scratched his cal
with his hoof. Then he licked his side
with the long tongue, rubbed his face
up and down his fore leg. and then
raising his hind foot again. stretched
it as far forward as possible, and
licked the leg as far back as he could
reach. Then he gaped, as though tired
from his exertions, and dropping or
his knees, lay down OF the moss by
the side of the brook, and calmly
chewed the cud.
ERNEST HAROLD BAYNEs
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