morris ALGONQUIN DAYS 33 



beast, about the camp, the island, and the lake. Paddle with 

 what speed we might to open camp, our eager spirits would be 

 round the corner ahead of us; and, once on the island, we could 

 hardly wait to stretch the canvas and unpack, before making 

 some favorite round, perhaps of ferns and flowers, perhaps down 

 the western bay to watch the waxwings hawk after insects, or up 

 the Madawaska to hear the Olive-sided Flycatchers and see the 

 deer come down at dusk from the woods. 



We were soon so used to sleeping under canvas that instead 

 of sitting up tensely listening to every little rustling sound, we 

 lay secure; it became even a luxury of the night to keep awake for 

 the call of the owls under the August moon; sometimes, the 

 sonorous note of the Horned Owl; oftener, the twice repeated 

 four-fold cry of the Barred Owl. Hardly ever did it fail of an 

 answering call from afar; gradually the birds would draw closer 

 and closer together; when, as often, they met in the forest canopy 

 over our heads, it was wonderful to hear the deep gurgling tones of 

 soft endearment, like the crooning of doves or brooding rooks, 

 but fuller, more guttural and far more melodious. 



In our second season we built a cedar float for a wharf. This 

 raft-like object in the little bay somewhat alarmed our guests, 

 the beaver — but not for long, and it was accepted by the bolder 

 spirits the very day after its completion. I happened that 

 morning to be out trolling for bass soon after daylight, and present- 

 ly saw a muskrat reconnoitering about the float. In a little while 

 it dived, and uprooting some aquatic herbage, proceeded to drag 

 a load of it under the wharf, having evidently decided to begin 

 building on this highly desirable site. 



It worked away vigorously for nearly a quarter of an hour, 

 when it was spied by the big mink at the pine log. Your rodent is 

 no match for a weasel, and it was soon forced to beat a retreat, 

 while the mink returned to his log cabin. In about ten minutes, 

 the muskrat swam cautiously back, found the coast apparently 

 clear, and at once resumed operations. Again the mink returned 

 to the charge, and this time dived under the float and fairly routed 

 the intruder out from its position among the cedar stringers. 

 He then mounted the float, and, standing erect, watched the rat 

 round the bend to see that it really did double the point instead of 

 trying to sneak back under water. 



