Straggling bits of forest--yellow pines, the driver called the
trees--began to encroach upon the burned-over and arid barren land. To
Carley these groves, by reason of contrast and proof of what once was,
only rendered the landscape more forlorn and dreary. Why had these miles
and miles of forest been cut? By money grubbers, she supposed, the same
as were devastating the Adirondacks. Presently, when the driver had to
halt to repair or adjust something wrong with the harness, Carley was
grateful for a respite from cold inaction. She got out and walked. Sleet
began to fall, and when she resumed her seat in the vehicle she asked
the driver for the blanket to cover her. The smell of this horse blanket
was less endurable than the cold. Carley huddled down into a state of
apathetic misery. Already she had enough of the West.
But the sleet storm passed, the clouds broke, the sun shone through,
greatly mitigating her discomfort. By and by the road led into a section
of real forest, unspoiled in any degree. Carley saw large gray squirrels
with tufted ears and white bushy tails. Presently the driver pointed
out a flock of huge birds, which Carley, on second glance, recognized
as turkeys, only these were sleek and glossy, with flecks of bronze and
black and white, quite different from turkeys back East. "There must be
a farm near," said Carley, gazing about.
"No, ma'am. Them's wild turkeys," replied the driver, "an' shore the
best eatin' you ever had in your life."
A little while afterwards, as they were emerging from the woodland
into more denuded country, he pointed out to Carley a herd of gray
white-rumped animals that she took to be sheep.
"An' them's antelope," he said. "Once this desert was overrun by
antelope. Then they nearly disappeared. An' now they're increasin'
again."
More barren country, more bad weather, and especially an exceedingly
rough road reduced Carley to her former state of dejection. The jolting
over roots and rocks and ruts was worse than uncomfortable. She had to
hold on to the seat to keep from being thrown out. The horses did not
appreciably change their gait for rough sections of the road. Then a
more severe jolt brought Carley's knee in violent contact with an iron
bolt on the forward seat, and it hurt her so acutely that she had to
bite her lips to keep from screaming. A smoother stretch of road did not
come any too soon for her.
It led into forest again. And Carley soon became aware that they had at
last left the cut and burned-over district of timberland behind. A cold
wind moaned through the treetops and set the drops of water pattering
down upon her. It lashed her wet face. Carley closed her eyes and sagged
in her seat, mostly oblivious to the passing scenery. "The girls will
never believe this of me," she soliloquized. And indeed she was amazed
at herself. Then thought of Glenn strengthened her. It did not really
matter what she suffered on the way to him. Only she was disgusted at
her lack of stamina, and her appalling sensitiveness to discomfort.