XXI

_My vigor renewed by another night of refreshing

repose, I proceed on my journey, overcoming, in

turn, a sharp decline covered with round, smooth,

loose stones, a swarm of hornets, a slippery, zigzag

descent, a great lake filled with countless leeches,

and a wedge in the forest._

WHAT bothered me for a moment in the morning was the fact the path I

must take led me directly away from that dear palace; but this I did not

permit to disturb me any great length, for the presence of the palace

told me distinctly I was on the right track, and I would vary from it on

no account.

I gazed long and earnestly on the beautiful object, and when I at last

turned around and started forward I heard an exclamation of joy, and on

looking at the old woman standing in the door I saw a smile on her face,

and I considered that she had given voice to some thought in her

peculiar mind, for I saw nothing taking place that could cause any

sentiment.

So on I journeyed and came to a sharp decline which was so covered with

perfectly round, loose pebbles it would have been a very hazardous

undertaking to have attempted to descend. In fact, I tried it, and

quickly found myself sprawling and tumbling, bringing up against the

edge of the path much bruised and shaken.

I scrambled to the top, as I had come but a few busy feet, and sat down,

as was my invariable custom when I wished to think deeply.

Glancing about I saw four sticks of dead timber of about equal length.

Those I secured, for they were neither “leaves, blossoms, nor twigs.” In

searching among the stones I found four which had holes in them, and

they happened to be of sufficient depth and size to admit the ends of my

sticks. When I had fixed the sticks firmly by pounding them in, I

secured some dead roots and bound the other sticks on the first two in

such manner as to make a very serviceable wagon, as I had tied them

together so as to permit the first two to turn readily.

[Illustration]

I then placed my hands on the front axle, so as to regulate the speed of

my descent, and my knees on the cross sticks. In this manner I went down

quite handily. Though I was somewhat shaken, I reached the bottom in

very good shape, as the pebbles and stones rolled under my wheels in

such a way as to make a very soft ball-bearing, and the descent was

quite easy, albeit rapid.

Here another difficulty met me, and I should certainly have been stung

to death but for my presence of mind, as the way was literally filled

with hornets, sizzing here and there with terrible swiftness.

I quickly tore loose one of my axles, which was hollow. The pathway here

was thick with dust. By putting the end of my axle in the dust and

blowing through it with all my lung power, I stirred up such a cloud the

hornets lost their way and failed to find me. By walking slowly along,

covered by the cloud of dust and completely enveloped in it, I came

safely through the hornets’ territory, suffering only from one or two of

their stings.

I next came to where the path went down another slope, so steep the road

went down it in a zigzag course, each turn being a very sharp angle. In

such manner are the roads constructed up the sides of steep mountains.

If the roadbed had not been of a peculiar composition I should easily

have gone forward; but it was of soapstone, and the mountain side being

full of springs the stone was thus kept moist, and was therefore very

slippery. One of the rules said distinctly I should not depart from the

path on any pretense whatever, and I knew very well if I started down

and slipped, which I was quite likely to do, I should certainly shoot

over the edge of the path, and thus break the rule if I did not break my

neck, and both would probably result.

Even had I my wagon I could not turn the abrupt comers. So, what was I

to do? If I had not followed my usual method of sitting down to think it

out, I should in all probability be at the top of that slope yet, still

thinking.

As it was, though I did sit down I remained in a sitting posture no

great length of time, for immediately beneath me was an enormous

bumblebees’ nest, and a number of the most pugnacious resented at the

point of their swords my trespass on their territory, and with great

alacrity I coincided in their views.

Thus it was I was enabled to make the descent with no discomfort

whatever; for, having lighted my pipe, I blew a cloud of smoke into the

nest, so the inhabitants were only too glad to fly away and let me do my

worst, which consisted in extracting enough of their store of honey with

which to coat the soles of my boots enough times to keep them in such

condition they would adhere tightly to the soapstone until I had reached

the plain below, which I did, as I have said, very neatly.

At the bottom of this incline I had another view of the gorgeous palace;

but the path again led away from it, and I followed it with grim

determination, feeling, however, just a little doubtful about the

justice of further perplexities in my path. Yet, she it was who had

planned them, and I was finally but too glad to do her sweet bidding,

realizing it was but a question of time, as I feared no further

impediments. And I could but scold myself for taking the path I did, for

there was another leading directly toward my goal. Though I felt that in

all my travels I had never been beset in such a brief compass of time

with so many obstacles, and would gladly have seen the end of them, I

could not satisfy myself the other path was the proper one, and my

judgment again proved unerring.

And the next barrier interposed, which temporarily stopped my further

progress, came near causing me to give up the whole affair, and I should

probably have done so had not I imagined I heard a scornful laugh when

my discomfiture was most apparent on my countenance—I say, had it not

been for the stinging of that laugh, I might have lain down right there

and died from wounded pride.

And though that titulation was but an hallucination of my brain, it sent

my forces back into the ranks and I went at the obstacle in such a

business-like way it was soon a thing of the past.

The obstacle was a lake about two miles wide. Now, I could easily have

swam it, but it was well tenanted with a large variety of leech, as I

was made aware when I recklessly launched myself upon its surface, for

they attacked me in such numbers their weight would have drowned me then

and there had I reached a sufficient distance from the shore to have

been in water over my head. As it was I was so thoroughly tired out in

carrying myself thus burdened with them back to shore I sat down with

only enough power remaining to remove them and cast them on the ground.

It was at that moment I thought I heard the scornful laugh, and I was

then gazing at those leeches anything but pleasantly, for they had all

but spent my entire strength in the brief space during which they had

been fastened on me.

My eye caught sight of a small feather on the sand, and a broad smile

must have appeared on my face, for I was instantly filled with joy.

I bit off the small tip of the quill and likewise enough of the other

end to permit me to blow out the pith. I was forbidden to kill anything,

and I did not propose to kill these leeches unless it became necessary;

but I admit I bore them no good will, and under other circumstances I

could have enjoyed tearing them to pieces one by one.

I inserted the quill in each in turn and blew up a hundred or more of

them until they looked like great balls. I then put the mouth of one to

the side of another, to which it adhered tenaciously, until I had a

square of them several feet across. I then made another square of the

same size, and laid that on top of the first, and then another, and laid

that on top of the second, and still another on top of the third.

I pushed my raft into the water and got upon it. As there was quite a

breeze blowing, I spread my mantle and sailed slowly but positively to

the point on the other side at which the path continued its course.

As I walked along I noticed the trees on either side were increasing in

height and becoming thicker and closer to the path as I went on, with

the result I at length found myself in what might well be termed a

pocket, with trees towering two hundred feet in the air, and so close

together it was impossible for me to squeeze between the next two, the

last two having flattened me all nature would stand.

Through a narrow slit I saw the path continued, but of such narrowness

was this aperture I could barely put my arm through it.

I sat down to think it out; or, rather, in lieu of sitting I leaned

against a tree, for they were too closely set to permit me to sit.

I could think of no way out of the dilemma, and was so tired withal I

fell sound asleep. When I opened my eyes it was as black as a ton of

coal. I went again to sleep, as I received no new thought, and was

awakened by a peal of thunder. The air was literally full of lightning

sparks, darting about in every conceivable direction, crossing each

other at every possible angle, and from the distance came the roar of a

frightful wind. I was about to be overtaken by a cyclone, and I could do

nothing but wait. I dared not depart from the path, and, in fact, the

path was as safe as any place. I knew very well if the storm center

should pass in my vicinity I should be killed by the falling timber; yet

I was determined not to give up my purpose—I would rather die complying

with the rules.

The storm seemed an age in coming, and at last I saw the whirling center

would pass far enough away not to carry me up in its funnel; this I

could tell by the noise among the trees. It was terrible; what majestic

wrenchings were going on! How the great forest giants struggled, only to

be torn up by the roots or twisted into splinters and hurled furiously

away! And the rushing of the wind—what horrors it contained—a demon

freed and wreaking his vengeance for having been imprisoned—how he

shrieked in his mad delirium! How he howled and hissed in his tantrum!

It nearly froze the marrow in my bones.

A strong current of air was rushing by me, and growing steadily stronger

each second. I should be picked up by it before the end and whirled—the

Lord knew where—but I prayed I should not be taken out of the path.

I felt the first real gush of the tearing wind. It was entering my

pocket. What would it do? I did not have long to wait for my answer,

brought by the wind itself. The pressure it exerted soon became almost

unbearable, and while the tension was at its height a vivid flash of

lightning showed me that the trees in my path were being forced apart,

and even now the slit was wide enough for me to spring through. No

sooner thought than done. And all I had to do was to loosen my grip on

the tree to which I had been holding and be blown through by the rushing

wind. The blast that took me through was the last throe in that

particular vicinity.

I was lying on the ground, much jarred and bruised, but decidedly happy,

for the path lay before, waiting for my feet. So I gave thanks to the

storm and proceeded to finish my nap, for it was now dark, and I was

completely fagged.

When the dawn made things again clear I could not refrain from

inspecting the place through which I had come.

Now, there are times in every man’s life when he feels he has been a sad

mistake; that when his anatomical machine was assembled it was not put

together right; that there is a screw loose somewhere in his being. And

so it then seemed to me as I gazed at the slot between the trees.

There was but one excuse for me, my brains must have been lost in the

last episode, or I had lost the combination to my thought-maker. There

before my eyes stood the monument of my stupidity; there was the proof I

was nothing but a streaked ninnyhammer of the rankest breed. There stood

the slot as my accuser, the witness whose testimony should send me to a

home for incurable imbeciles.

While it was true that for twenty-five or fifty feet it was impossible

for me to get between the trees, yet it was also true that by the

distance of one hundred feet there was ample space for my passage. It

would have taken time, of course, to have climbed up and down between

each pair of trees. Ah, greater evidence of my moon-eyed condition. By

climbing to the limbs I might have run like a squirrel from one tree to

another the entire distance.

It is nothing to my credit I should have been compelled to have jumped

several rods through the air between two trees, for my mental sagacity

had not got so far as that. I felt humiliated beyond expression. Never

before had I been compelled to call on the forces of Nature to help me

out of a difficulty. It would be the last time. There was consolation in

that.

However, it was best as it was, for there might have been a question

whether or not climbing the trees would have been leaving the path.

Nevertheless, I turned from the scene in a state of complete disgust,

absolutely forgetting I had had not a morsel to eat since the prior

morning. This was brought back with all its pain by the sight of the

style of a house with which I had become familiar. I suffered not this

time my natural diffidence to retard me from entering without ceremony

and taking possession of the only chair at the table. Neither could I

resist taking a short nap after the meal, for I had slept anything but

comfortably; and should not have slept at all but from complete

exhaustion.

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