The Forrest City times., 1905-10-20
WITH A TROUT BROOK l
BEGINS WITH SCARCELY A
 BuCKETFJL OF WATER
Grows Very ouickly-Island in Mid. stream Invites to Rest-Fawn Making Toilet ia the
 Water.

It was a September day. intensely bright. with fresh wind which sent a fleet of soft white clouds scuddinc swiftly toward the east. across q sky or gentian blue. had been walking all morning along the wooded ridge of croydon mountain. hunting for signs or moose. had been unsuccessful in my quest, but scarcely disappointed, since l had seen and enjoyed a dozen interesting sights. including a hollow treeful of flying squirrels. a snow-shoe rabbit, barred owl and a nest of woodmice in r1ossy stump. I had stopped for lunch on the rocky. tree less summit of Old Bald, the highest point of the range. and now, in the early afternoon. had reached the Mountain marsh, dark, spruce-gir. dled slough, whence my course lay westward and homeward down the mountain side.
 At the northwestern corner of the marsh little water filtered through the soil, dripped into patch of bright green moss, trickied on into a bed of spruce needles, and trickled out again Into 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 silver thread of water, il had already worn for itself 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 on the hillside another little Till of similar origin joined the first, and with united force they pushed aside a tuft of coarse grass growing close to the channel. and moved on down the hill with ever increasing speed. This was the begin ming of trout brook, and as 1t was going in my direction l followed it. Not far below a third tiny streamlet pushed out from beneath a hemlock root, and joined forces with the brook, " iiith oCCibtu lO lut ldtl with a rather noisy splashing as it leaped from a jutting stone into clear pool, whence it raced over a pebbly bottom, and turned sharply round rock projecting from the mountain side
 One can hardly believe, without actually watching it's progress. how quickly such a trout brook grows. In distance of less than a mile this stream I was following had grown from few drops trickling through the moss to a noisy, splashing, squirting, foaming force of water.
 Presently came to spot where a large powder literally split the brook in two, turning one stream to the right and the other to the left. to meet again some 50 yards below, forming little island The latter was covered with trees. and on the ground be- meath them were ferns and mosses of many kinds. 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 I sprang across the stream it was less than six feet wide-and lay at full length upon the moss with my elbows resting on hattish stone and with my chin in the palms of my hands. I was looking up stream, and could see three of the tiny waterfalls I had lately passed. The nearest was { 1o nd ba hpon+if,I he 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 were pelted with the spray, they glis. tened and nodded Above the sound of the water I could hear the loud tap. ping of pileated wo0dpecker, and as I turned my head 10 try and get g glimpse of him l saw a deer walking among the trees. He tas evidently 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, now dropping his head to nibble a tuft of grass; now lifting it to browse on the leaves of some twig above his head Soon Ire reached the brook, and stood, just above the nearest waterfall, quite un. conscious of any presence but his own. He sniffed 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 ear 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 on his knees, lay down on the moss by