Evening star., 1940-01-14

think of a sleeping bag. I took it
down and threw 1t over my arm
with my blue shirt. Boy, that bag
came in handy right away! The
mosquitoes flew up from the stream
in clouds, and the blackfies were
just about as thick. I put the
gunnysack over my head and peeped
out through a hole. That helped
keep of the bugs, but it made me
stumple and, boy, every stumble
hurt! 1t seemed as II my head
would burst, every time I pitched
forward.
pretty nearly passed right by
some old cabins, because OF that
sack. 1t wouldn't have mattered
anyway, because when I turned OF
the trail into the clearing, knew
there was nobody there. The cabin
doors we're falling of their hinges
and weeds were growing on the
doorsteps. The roofs were caved in
and green with moss.
pushed in one of the doors. The
place smelled musty and damp. I
went inside and put down my things
and thought I'd take a rest. I
stretched out on bunk and closed
my eyes. I thought, because of the
roof and walls, the bugs wouldn't
bother me. That's where I was
wrong. They came in armies, big
ones and little ones, and they LIT
all over me 50 thick seemed to be
covered with pepper. Boy! That
was the worst place I was ever in.
I got up as fast as / could and
grabbed my things and went out.
Could Smell Doughnuts.
A wind was blowing across the
clearing and that scattered the bugs
a little. I felt pretty bad. wasn't
getting any place, after all my walk
ing. 1t seemed that everything I
came to was deserted. I began to
wonder If I'd make it and began
TO wonder, too, if people were look
Ing for me, why I hadn't heard a
shout or the sound of a gun or seen
some sign. I knew the Boy Scouts
wouldn't let me die in there with
out hunting for me and wondered
why 1 hadn't seen any of them.
Boy, what funny things come into
persons head! I thought If I
saw Boy Scout, I'd ask him for a
doughnut and drink of milk. I
thought so hard of doughnuts that
sometimes I could smell them.
wandered around those camps
for while looking for something
to eat. I looked in all the old cans
l could find. They were all empty.
No use hanging around here. I got
my things together and went on,
Alter thai, I lost track of what hap
pened. I can't remember much
things are hazy, like dreams you
can't describe afterward.
IT Mas that afternoon. I think,
mat I discovered part of my big toe
was scnc. can remember that. I
Was stumbling along the trail. Now
and thtN was down on my hands
ana Knees 1t was easier, that way,
When my feet got so bad that I
couldn't bear my weight on them.
suddenly I looked down and saw
that the tip of my big toe was gone
cut right off and the blood was
coming fast. I don't know how it
happened. never felt a thing. I
must have hit sharp. rock or
walked over a piece of glass in that
camp. I sat down on a stump and
held my toe in my hand. I held it
tight, to stop the flow of blood. I
held 1t for a long time, then I got
up and went on.
Dead Trees Warned Him.
I remember finding a hollow tree
and sitting with my back In it and
my blue shirt over my legs and the
sack around my head. I got warm
there and, maybe, that is where I
spent the night. You may laugh at
that maybe" but all can remem-
Der, after that, is finding myself
walking close to the stream on q
level place where the grass was
soft.
I couldn't tell whether it was an
other day or not, for I got mixed
up about where the sun ought to be.
I remember looking at the water
close to me, to see which way it was
flowing. It wasn't wild and rushing
any more. 1t was spreading out,
getting wider, and there were reeds
and cattails. I could see the sky,
then, and it was full of big clouds.
I listened and watched for an air.
plane, but all I saw were big birds,
like wild geese going overhead.
Pretty soon I stepped into some
water and went up to my knees.
That scared me and made me back
up. I climbed onto a tree trunk
and I could see big bog full of
dead trees. Each one looked like
soldier. The sun was shining on
them and some of the branches
looked like silver. I had a queer
feeling about those trees-they
didn't want me to 90 that way
they were on guard there, blocking
my path. They didn't want me TO
60 on.
(This entire swamp episode b