3 1 6 Musings by Camp- Fire and Wayside 



ests northeast. The next day I wrote to Ashland, 

 east, and Duluth, west, each forty miles away, 

 inquiring if it had been seen, expecting from the 

 two angles which could be approximately remem- 

 bered to be able to triangulate its height when it 

 passed over us; but it had not been noticed at 

 either city. From this I concluded that its orbit 

 was what it appeared to us to be, quite near the 

 earth. These fire-balls have not been explained by 

 the meteorologists. They are very rare, and I was 

 quite fortunate to have seen two of them. Let us 

 now return to Adam's hunting. 



Motionless and silent we waited for a time, when 

 I noticed by a bit of brass on the point of the prow 

 that the boat was turning. This was evidence that 

 Gordon's ear, quicker than mine, had caught the 

 splash of a foot. The little boat fairly shot through 

 the water, and sharp as her cutter is, made a tinkle 

 at her prow. On and on we went, a half-mile, when 

 a splash and whirr of wings ten feet in front of us. 

 "Pshaw!" whispered Gordon, "nothing but a 

 duck" ; and he turned and went back to our position 

 in the middle of the lake. About a quarter of an 

 hour passed. I could not lay my hands on the side 

 of the boat because they showed white in the moon- 

 light. The ache of the strained position was becom- 

 ing intolerable, and I was about to change position 

 regardless of consequences, when again the shining 

 bit of brass at the point was seen to be changing its 

 direction. That banished all thought of the pain. 



