Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-02-02
CHAPTER H.-(Continued.)


some secluded spot--some roadside nook
or outlying common. But there is fatal
attraction in the Caravan; it seems to
draw spectators, as it were, out of the
very bowels OF the earth. No matter how
desolate the place we have chosen, we
have scarcely made ourselves comfortable
when an audience gathers, and stragglers
drop In, amazed ana open-molthed. /
found it irksome at first to paint in the
open air, with a gazing crowd at my
back making audible comments on my
work as it progressed; but / soon got
used to it, and, having discovered certain
good subjects here and there among my
visitors, l take the publicity now as a
matter Of course. Even when busy in
side, | am never astonished to see strange
noses hattened against the windows
strange faces peeping in at the door. The
human temperament accustoms itself TO
anything. When all is said and done. it
is flattering to be an object of such pub
lie interest; and l do believe that, when
i return to civilization, and find no one
caring in the least what l do, / shell
miss the worldly tribute which is now my
daily due
II begin this record in the Island of
Anglesea, where we have arrived after
our fortnight's wanderings in the more
mountainous districts OF the mainland.
Anglesea, l am informed, is chiefly fam
Gus for its pigs mad It's wild ducks. So
far as l have yet explored 1t, l find Ii
fiat and desolate enough; but / have been
educated in Irish landscapes, and don't
object to fairness when combined with
desolation. 1 like these dreary meadows,
these bleak stretches of melancholy moor
land, these wild lakes and lagoonS
"At the present moment / am encamped
in a spot where, in all probability, / shall
remain for days. / came upon it quite by
accident, about midday yesterday, when,
on my way to the market town of Pen
cross or, rather, when imagined that I
was going thither, while had, in reality,
after hesitating at three crossroads, taken
the road which led exactly in the oppo-
site direction. The way was desolate
and dreary beyond measure-stretches of
morass and moorland on every side, oc-
casionally rising into heathery knobs or
hillocks, or strewed with huge pieces Of
stone like the moors of Cornwall. Pres
emily the open moorland eLded, nd we
entered region of sandy" "ockparse-
ly ornamented here al S'pLd = n long,
harsh grass. If one ca s..sa Hoahe the
waves of the ocean, at sofre Z ahent of
wild agitation, suddenly frozen to, still
ness, and retaining intact these tempes-
tuous forms, 1t would give some idea on,
the hillocks | am describing. They rose
on every side of the road, completely shut
ting out the view, and their pale, livid
yellowness. scarcely relieved with
glimpse of greenness, was wearisome and
lonely in the extreme. As we advanced
among them, the road we were pursuing
grew worse and worse, till 1t became so
choked and covered with drifted sand as
to be scarcely recognizable, and | need
hardly say that it was hard work for one
horse to pull the Caravan along; more
than once, indeed, the wheels fairly stuck.
and Tim and l had to pull with might
and main to get them free.
I'VE had proceeded in this manner for
some miles, and l was beginning to real
ize the fact that we were out of our reck-
oning, when, suddenly emerging from be
tween two sand hills, l saw wide stretch
of green meadow land, and beyond 1t
glorifed piece of water. The sun was
shining brightly, the water sparkled like
a mirror, calm as glass, and without
breath As we appeared, a large heron
rose from the spot on the water side
where he had been standing, and sailed
leisurely away. Around the lake, which
was about a mile IN circumference, the
road ran winding, till it reached the fur
Their side where more sand hills began
but between these sand hills caught
sparkling glimpse of more water. and
(guided to my conclusion by the red sail
of fishing smack just glimmering on the
horizon line) | knew that further water
was-the sea.
"The spot had all the attraction of COM
plete desolation, combined with the char a
which always, 10 my mind, pertains to
lakes and lagoons. Eager as a boy or a
loosened retriever, l ran across the mea-
dow, and found the grass long and green,
and sown with innumerable crowsfoot
flowers: underneath the green was sand
again, but here 1t glimmered like gold
dust. As reached the sedges on the
lake side, teal rose, in full summer
piYmage. wheeled swiftly round the lake.
then, returning, splashed down boldly and
swan within a stones throw of the shore
when, peering through the rushes, l
caught a glimpse of his mate, padding
anxiously along with eight little tufts of
dowa behind her. Then, just outside the
sedges. l saw the golden shield Of weter
broken by the circles of rising trout. 1t
was too much l FASTENED back to the
Caravan, and informed Tim that l had
no intention of going any further-that
day, at least.
80 here we have been since yesterday,
and, up to this, have not set eyes upon
single soul. Such peace and quietness is
a toretaste of Paradise AS this Is the
most satisfactory day l have yet spent in
my pilgrimage. although 1t bears, at the
same time, family likeness to the other
days of the past fortnight, purpose set
ting down, chronologically, the manner in
which occupied myself from dawn to
sunset
IS a. m.-Wake. and see that Tim has
already disappeared, and folded up his
hammock Observe the morning sun look
ing In with fresh, CHEEKY countenance
at the window. Turn over again with a
yawn, and so to sleep for another FIVE
minutes.
"5 10 a. m.-Wake again, and discover,
by looking at nv watch, that. instead of
FIVE minutes. 7 have slept an hour and a
quarter. Spring up at once, and slip on
shirt and trousers: then pass out, bare
footed. into the open air. No sign of
Tim, but fire is lighted close to the
Caravan, which shadows it from the rays
of the morning sun. Stroll down to the
lake. and. throwing off what garments
wear prepare for a bath. Can not get
out for swim on account of the reeds
The bath over, return and finish my toilet
in the Caravan.
IS a. m.-rim has reappeared. He has
been right down TO the seashore, walk
of about two miles and a half. He in
forms me to my disgust that there is
some sort of human settlement there,
and q hfe-boat station. He has brought
back in hts baglet, as specimens OF the
local products, dozen new-laid eggs
some milk, and a loaf OF bread. The last.
A. Il ash ~