A Walk in the Woods

Chapter One

We hiked till five and camped beside a tranquil spring in a small, grassy clearing in the trees just off the trail.  Because it was our first day back on the trail, we were flush for food, including perishables like cheese and bread that had to be eaten before they went off or were shaken to bits in our packs, so we rather gorged ourselves, then sat around smoking and chatting idly until persistent and numerous midgelike creatures (no-see-ums, as they are universally known along the trail) drove us into our tents.  It was perfect sleeping weather, cool enough to need a bag but warm enough that you could sleep in your underwear, and I was looking forward to a long night's snooze-indeed was enjoying a long night's snooze-when, at some indeterminate dark hour, there was a sound nearby that made my eyes fly open.  Normally, I slept through everything-through thunderstorms, through Katz's snoring and noisy midnight pees-so something big enough or distinctive enough to wake me wa ... read full excerpt from A Walk in the Woods ebook