CROTCHET LAKE. 63 



under the weight he bore, while in the long intervals 

 appeared the two inverted boats, walking through the 

 woods on two human legs in the most surprising man- 

 ner imaginable. Though tired and fagged out, I 

 could not refrain from frequent outbursts of laughter 

 that made the forest ring again. But there was no 

 other way of getting along, and each one had to be- 

 come a beast of burden. It was a relief to launch 

 again ; and when at last we struck the river just after 

 it leaves Crotchet Lake, and gazed on the beautiful 

 sheet of water that was rolling and sparkling in the 

 sunlight ahead, an involuntary shout burst from the 

 party. A flock of wild ducks, scared at the sound, 

 made the water foam as they rose at our feet and 

 sped away. Stemming the rapid waters with our 

 light prows, we were soon afloat on the bosom of the 

 lake. The wind was blowing directly in our teeth, 

 making the miniature waves leap and dance around 

 us as if welcoming us to their home. A white gull 

 rose from a rock at our side — a fish-hawk screamed 

 around her huge nest on a lofty pine-tree on the 

 shore, as she wheeled and circled above her offspring 

 — -a raven croaked overhead — the cry of loons arose 

 in the distance — and all was wild yet beautiful. The 

 sun was stooping to his glorious bed amid the purple 

 mountains, whose sea of summits was calmly sleep- 

 ing against the golden heavens — the cool breeze 

 stirred a world of foliage on our right — green islands, 

 beautiful as Elysian fields, rose out of the water as 

 we advanced — the sparkling waves rolled merrily 

 under as bright a sky as ever bent over the earth — 



