260     JOHN  BURROUGHS— BOY  AND  MAN

Other  articles  on  literary  topics  were  frequently  appearing
in  the  magazines  during  these  years,  articles  on  Emerson,
on  Victor  Hugo,  on  "Nature  and  the  Poets,"  and
so  on.
And  thus  the  years  passed.
After  Grant  and  Colfax  were  elected,  Mr.  Burroughs
wrote  Myron  Benton  to  come  on  and  help  him  inaugurate
Grant.  Grant  once  came  into  the  Treasury  vault  during
his  presidency,  and  was  shown  around  by  Mr.  Burroughs
who,  though  somewhat  abashed  at  being  at  close  quarters
with  the  silent  man,  explained  things  as  best  he  could,
Grant  walking  about  the  vault  with  hands  behind  him,
asking  a  few  questions,  but  saying  little  else.
One  Saturday  night  Mr.  Burroughs  and  his  chum,  Frank
Baker,  camped  out  on  High  Island  above  Georgetown,
on  Sunday  walking  up  the  Potomac  to  Dam  One  where
they  went  in  swimming.  They  thought  to  swim  to  the
other  shore  but  were  utterly  deceived  by  the  distance.
