72 BOULDEB REVERIES. 



denly there came from the woods in front of 

 the house a quick, loud report, somewhat like 

 the noise made by the firing of a shotgun. This 

 was followed by several other sounds, not so 

 loud, as though a revolver was being fired in 

 rapid succession. Two of the city boys, who 

 were stopping at the farm house, came hurrying 

 back from the woods where they had been taking 

 a stroll. They were much frightened, as they 

 thought the noises had been made by some man 

 or animal which might do them injury. My 

 host and they armed themselves with a gun and 

 sallied forth in the darkness, to try and dis- 

 cover the source of the sounds, but they soon 

 returned without success. The noises grew 

 gradually fainter and seemingly more distant, 

 though they continued at intervals for two hours 

 or longer. 



On my way hither this morn the source was 

 revealed. A great sugar maple, decayed near 

 the base, but otherwise apparently sound, had 

 given way several feet above the ground, and in 

 its fall had crashed into the top and limbs of a 

 smaller tree. The sharp reports we had first 



