CHAPTER XV. 



When the sun came up, fresh and vigorous, the next 

 inorninir. Hocks of cross-bills, more numerous than the spar 

 rows in our eastern cities, Muttered and darted about 

 our cam]). The whir of their swift wind's, and the 

 clutch of their tiny claws on our hark -roof, woke us up. 

 They were very inquisitive and fearless, and became u;reat 

 pels \\ith us; although, each morning, somebody was dis 

 posed to aiiathemali/.e them for disturbing our morning 

 slumbers. They are such bright. cheerful and sociable 

 little fellows, chipper'uiLi; their quick, sharp notes through 

 their cross twisted bills, that I have become very fond of 

 them, in these excursions in the wilderness, and have come 

 to feel that they are an essential part of the accompani 

 ments of a well regulated camp. 



After breakfast we be^in to look about our surroundings 

 and make our plans for the day. The "Syracuse Party." 

 whose hospitalities, so far as shelter was concerned, we 

 were en joying, had an eye to the picturesque in select in- 

 their camping ground. In the midst of the sloping clear- 

 MI:-; of two or three acres, made to avoid falling trees and 

 to es, ;,] the mosquitoes whose delii';ht is damp and shady 

 places amon.ii" trees and shrubs. they had erected the two 



