The Home of the Wolverene and Beaver, iby 



matter even a gun, and their attempts to cope with 

 the giant pines were most ludicrous. Every man, 

 without exception, from the highest to the lowest; 

 had to take his share in the arduous work, and this 

 was their method of proceeding. Four people were 

 told off to each tree, around which they erected a 

 sort of scaffolding, from which they commenced 

 their attack. The axes were of all shapes and 

 sizes ; and in hands unaccustomed to their use, but 

 little headway was made ; the tree was notched 

 and hacked about in every direction, but that was 

 all. At last some one announced that it was on 

 the point of falling, upon which there was a speedy 

 retreat from the scaffolding, and all hands stood 

 wondering which direction it would take, for they 

 had no idea of ' laying ' it. Several minutes would 

 pass, but the giant showed no sign of yielding, 

 standing stubbornly upright and seeming to defy 

 their utmost efforts. At last some one more 

 adf'enturous than the rest, would remount the 

 scaffold and hew away afresh ; showers of splinters 

 would fly ; a creaking noise arose, and with a 

 groan the pine tree bowed his lofty head, but not to 

 reach the ground, for it invariably caught in the 

 boughs of a neighbour, and there hung a constant 

 menace to the whole party. As my father said, it 

 was heart-breaking work and at the end of two 



