TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS. 165 



awful. The only sound that broke the silence was 

 the dismal hooting of a number of owls which made 

 night hideous with their peculiar cry. The uncanny 

 sound produced such a nervousness that sleep was 

 much interrupted, and after naming the place Camp 

 Owl Hoot the hunters made haste away from the 

 spot. A tall tree was climbed and the lay of the land 

 noticed, and the northward way resumed about 

 daylight. 



An almost impenetrable forest was now before 

 them. No trail was to be found. The rivulet was 

 dry, and the bed of this was followed until it ended 

 at the foot of a ridge. On the ridge a grassy spot 

 was found where a few deer-tracks gave the first in- 

 dication of animal life. In every direction from this 

 spot dense thickets of poles stood in such confusion 

 that it was necessary to cut a way through. This 

 labourious proceeding was continued until late in the 

 evening, when a small lake was reached and camp 

 made for the night. The lake was alive with water- 

 birds, and a fat mallard duck made a supper for the 

 hunters. All seemed peaceful when the tired natural- 

 ists crawled into their sleeping-bags, but scarcely 

 had they composed themselves when a series of 

 shrieks and yells, which appeared to come from the 

 vicinity of the lake, sent them bounding from their 

 beds to their guns. The sound died away, and after 

 waiting in suspense for some time they again sought 

 rest. They slept soundly until just at daylight, when 

 again the unearthly cries broke the stillness, and 

 the hunters hastened to their feet. An investigation 

 showed that a flock of loons had been feeding on the 



