THE WINTER WOODS 165 



Nez could have easily bought woollen caps and coats 

 for them in the Ridge village, bnt he loved simple, 

 wild ways and things, and understood the turning of a 

 skin directly into a coat better than the indirect way of 

 iirst clianging it for money and then buying the needed 

 garment. 



'' Step right in by the fire," said Nez, leading the 

 way to the cabin. Then for the first time the boys 

 realized that they were quite cold, — the excitement 

 and novelty of their journey had kept them from feel- 

 ing it before. 



The cabin was very warm, for two fires were burn- 

 ing in a space that was scarcely more than one large 

 room divided by the stone chimney. In one fireplace 

 logs were blazing, in the other stood a small sheet-iron 

 stove, upon which Toinette was preparing dinner, stir- 

 ring something Avith a wooden spoon that yielded a 

 delicious " have-some-more " odor. 



" Last winter Ave had a regular campfire on the 

 ground in the middle and just a roof draught for the 

 smoke, but we get too much rain along spring and fall 

 in these parts for that sort of chimney, though there's 

 nothing like a fire where you can sit all the way 

 around." 



" Vill you now eat some tings, m'sieurs ? " said 

 Toinette, hospitably, making a gesture toward the 

 l)lank table, which they then noticed was set with an 

 idea of festivity. Ground pine hung in festoons about 

 the edge and was arranged in a sort of mat in the 

 centre, figured witb bunches and sprays of red berries. 



"Yes, better feed now," said Nez, "if you w^ant a 

 little sport this afternooii, 'cause 'long al)out dark we 



