Page:The heart of Monadnock (IA heartofmonadnock00timl).pdf/60

be a question of getting lost and going astray; not a choice of right or wrong; or of right and not-quite-right. Simply blankness where there should have been an indication; a point where one stood bewildered, since in looking back each step of the way seemed to bring one steadily to just that place. Such experiences as he had in mind did not involve the question of shirking an issue, however hard; on the contrary, nothing had been more desired than to go straight ahead, let the difficulties be what they might. How intently he had at such times searched for the clue! Sometimes with long effort he had succeeded in finding it—but often enough he could discern no clue to the path at all—nothing at any rate that looked in the least like one. Not even as likely as the mossy stones that had deceived him below. At such times he had reluctantly abandoned the quest. No Thoroughfare. No use taking that simple step. It could lead nowhere. Yet—had he not sometimes had the mortification of seeing