Page:The first and last journeys of Thoreau - lately discovered among his unpublished journals and manuscripts.djvu/80

 of his chisel for many sweeps after we had left him. We wished to camp this night on a large rock in the middle of the stream, just above these Falls; but the want of fuel, and the difficulty of fixing our tent firmly, prevented us; so we made our bed on the mainland opposite, on the west bank, in the town of Bedford, in a retired place, as we supposed, there being no house in sight."

This encounter with the masons and mention of the rock will explain what is said at the opening of the next day, September 4,—the fifth day since they had left Concord; for their voyage began Saturday, August 31, 1839.

Wednesday, September 4.

We supposed we had selected a retired part of the shore, but we discovered this morning that we had pitched our tent directly in the path of the masons, whom we had seen crossing the river in their boat the evening before, while we were surveying the rock. And now, going to their work again, they came upon us as we were rolling up our tent, and tarried to examine our [32]