Thoughheknowsthathehastravelleditathousandtimes，hecannotrecognizeafeatureinit，butitisasstrangetohimasifitwerearoadinSiberia。Bynight，ofcourse，theperplexityisinfinitelygreater。Inourmosttrivialwalks，weareconstantly，thoughunconsciously，steeringlikepilotsbycertainwell-knownbeaconsandheadlands，andifwegobeyondourusualcoursewestillcarryinourmindsthebearingofsomeneighboringcape；andnottillwearecompletelylost，orturnedround——foramanneedsonlytobeturnedroundoncewithhiseyesshutinthisworldtobelost——doweappreciatethevastnessandstrangenessofnature。Everymanhastolearnthepointsofcompassagainasoftenasbeawakes，whetherfromsleeporanyabstraction。Nottillwearelost，inotherwordsnottillwehavelosttheworld，dowebegintofindourselves，andrealizewhereweareandtheinfiniteextentofourrelations。
Oneafternoon，neartheendofthefirstsummer，whenIwenttothevillagetogetashoefromthecobbler’s，Iwasseizedandputintojail，because，asIhaveelsewhererelated，Ididnotpayataxto，orrecognizetheauthorityof，theStatewhichbuysandsellsmen，women，andchildren，likecattle，atthedoorofitssenate-house。Ihadgonedowntothewoodsforotherpurposes。
But，whereveramangoes，menwillpursueandpawhimwiththeirdirtyinstitutions，and，iftheycan，constrainhimtobelongtotheirdesperateodd-fellowsociety。Itistrue，Imighthaveresistedforciblywithmoreorlesseffect，mighthaverun“amok“
againstsociety；butIpreferredthatsocietyshouldrun“amok“
againstme，itbeingthedesperateparty。However，Iwasreleasedthenextday，obtainedmymendedshoe，andreturnedtothewoodsinseasontogetmydinnerofhuckleberriesonFairHavenHill。IwasnevermolestedbyanypersonbutthosewhorepresentedtheState。I