ruction by the Colonel's numerous and
powerful enemies, or details of plans, publicity of which, owing to the
necessity of secrecy, might disconcert the progress of the great
project. The instruction to me to open the packet upon my arrival
prevented any questioning of the Colonel's confidence in myself.

Thanks to a large hostler-fee, my horse came from the stable after his
day of rest as fresh as when we left Washington, and hardened by the
trip. He had need for all the endurance within his nature. Before dawn
his hoofs were clattering across the great new bridge over the
Schuylkill.

In the dense night of the bridge's enclosed roof and sides, it was like
riding through a hall of vast length, with no guidance other than the
faint starlight at the far end. The thought struck me that this was apt
symbol of my love-quest. The darkness was as the night of my lady's
fathomless eyes, through which in the uncertain distance I could no more
than fancy a dim starlight of hope.

Musing on the conceit, I continued the allegory as we left the bridge
and splattered away on the old colonial road to the Monongahela, with
the fancy that in spirit, as in body, I had passed from the shut-in
blackness out into the openness of space, and that before me was promise
of fair dawn.

The day's dawn came as promised, bringing me still greater elevation of
spirit. And within the mile a mischievous farmer's brat by the wayside
tumbled me from heaven to muddy earth by howling in a voice of lively
concern that my horse had lost his tail. So near does the ridiculous
skirt the sublime! I had begun my journey on the Day of All Fools.

Perish superstition! Who but the ignorant believes in signs and omens?
And if mine was in truth a wild-goose chase, the sooner I reached the
end of my running the better. I neither would nor could have checked
myself had the thought come to me to turn back.

A journey tedious enough in the best of seasons is not improved by April
rains and boggy roads. On the other hand, I had that drawing me Westward
which would have spurred the tortoise into striving for the hare's leap.
It is sufficient evidence of my haste to state that, for all the
condition of the roads, I made in fifteen days the trip which is
considered well covered if ridden in nineteen.

Let me hasten to add that this was not done on one nag. Even had not my
love of man's second friend served to prevent so brutal an attempt,
failure would have been ine