With the Woodsmen 159 



Every evening after supper, fifty or sixty men 

 sit around the fire on stools and boxes or upon 

 the long "deacon seat" which is just in front 

 of their bunks. Of course, they have no chairs 

 in the woods. They tell stories, or sing woods 

 songs, to amuse themselves before going to 

 bed. Perhaps some are grinding their axes in 

 the log blacksmith shop outside. They go to 

 bed about eight o'clock, for they must rise very 

 early. 



At half -past four in the morning a bell is rung 

 loudly. The cook is ringing it to wake the men 

 up. It is very cold and dark, but it is almost 

 breakfast time in the woods. Some of the men 

 are already up and have left the bunk house. 

 They are the teamsters, who have gone to the 

 log stables to give breakfast to the horses before 

 eating their own. 



