nt, a large sheet of
green oilsilk, smuggled from home, kept off a good deal of the rain,
but, nevertheless, I had a good opportunity of studying the condition
of a half-drowned rat. In spite of the wet and the presence of some
large wood-ants, I rather enjoyed the sour apples, the first I had
tasted that summer. Once during the afternoon a red squirrel came
jumping over the fir needles, and looked up impudently into my face.
The sight of so much ugliness almost overcame him, but he managed to
scamper off at a good speed. I tried hard to attract this, my only
friend, by pretending to be Hiawatha, and calling him an
"_Adjidaumo_," but this only hurried his retreat.

My food consisted mostly of chocolate and biscuits, though, for the
first three days, I did not feel at all hungry. Water was very scarce,
but I received more than my share a few days later. The third night,
leaving the moon behind, I climbed over a barbed wire fence, and found
myself among a lot of large and boney black-and-white Holstein cattle.
Murmuring soft German words of endearment, I approached the nearest
cow in the hope of obtaining some milk. However, these good creatures,
thinking it a most unusual milking hour, were not having any, and
showed their disapproval of my conduct by careering madly round the
field, making a fiendish noise, which caused the author of the
disturbance to take to his heels for fear of discovery. A little later
I changed my tactics. After stealing several luscious apples, I
presented them to another walking milk-tank. The creature had a softer
heart, and succumbed to the temptation. Everything went according to
plan, for, while she munched the apple contentedly, I proceeded to
fill a large tin mug several times over. I tramped for ten nights, and
only missed my milk three times. Another night, passing in front of a
farm-house, I came upon a full milk-can standing by a gate; the
contents not only filled my water bottle, but even satisfied me.

One morning, after an unusually long march, I flopped down and went to
sleep in an overgrown ditch, surrounded by gorse and broom. The sun
was just rising when I awoke with the idea that I was lying on a bed
of pins. The idea grew to a firm conviction when an involuntary
movement of mine considerably increased my discomfort. As I lay trying
to solve the problem in a semi-conscious condition, the solution ran
across my face; it seemed to have a great many legs. As my fingers
closed ro