62 JOCK'S LAKE. 



victories over the aristocratic "diamond, " and the mathe- 

 matically impossible came to "pass," one counted more 

 than ten. and to this magic quality even royalty and knavery 

 succumbed. The Neophyte. an inveterate keeper of a 

 diary. by the same tallow-dip, with a cracker box for a 

 table, was writing up his notes for the day, and gathering 

 up the little odds and ends that, woven together, make up 

 the warp and woof of forest life in camp. 



But the longest and jollies! evening in the woods, a^ well 

 a* out. at la-t brings bed time, be the couch that of luxury 

 or the bed of boughs. 



Some hours after, I half awoke, and by the dim light of 

 a flickering and sleepy candle -aw Benson, all \\ et and 

 dripping, with slouched hat and long rubber overcoat 

 -hining with moisture, holding hi* 1:1111 in his hand*, and 

 standing just within the door, and by his side *tood Horace 

 with a deer llungacrosx his shoulders, the legs drawn around 

 his neck like a huge, fantastic necktie. In an instant every 

 one of us was wide awake, and while the rain was beating 

 in torrents upon the rude bark roof of our hut, IleiiM.n, 

 while removing his coat and boots and concocting a reviv- 

 ing punch, began his story: 



"Well, boys, we've got him -sure! But what a time 

 we've had! You see, it was. as dark a* ten pockets boiled 

 down into one when we got to the foot of the lake. 

 You couldn't sec a thing. \\'e thought we wouldn't light 

 up, for there was no telling but we might scare every deer 

 in the neighborhood. So we floundered along, keep- 

 ing near the stream, guided by the sound of the water and 



