A NIGHT IN THE CABIN. 249 



sheaves, whose brilliant resin brightened .simultaneously 

 the blue-black heaven and the flashing snow. We wan- 

 dered in this "circle of light" for some time, setting fire 

 . to everything in our path ; but, at length, the distant 

 voices of the Indians, who had regained the encampment, 

 warned us that we must think of returning. 



It was not without some difficulty we made our way 

 to the cabin. The trees all around it had burned them- 

 selves out, and our "hunting-box" lay buried in the pro- 

 foundest darkness. 



This wild insensate pastime, in which Maclean and I 

 had taken part as if we had been genuine Redskins, 

 destroyed about a hundred magnificent trees, each one of 

 which would in itself have been a noble ornament to the 

 finest park in Europe ; but we may plead as an excuse 

 that we were two days' journey from any habitation, and 

 we thought, not unreasonably, that numerous years would 

 glide away before human feet trod the savage wilderness ; 

 that centuries perhaps would pass before civilization 

 advanced to so remote a goal. 



The Indians had returned to our encampment that they 

 might gorge themselves anew with venison ; we found 

 them still eating yet they had eat so much that, out of 

 very weariness, they could scarcely open their jaws. 



Soon they fell into a complete lethargy, like that of the 

 boa-constrictor after he has swallowed his prey ; then, 

 after smoking a pipe, they all dropped into a deep slumber, 

 with mouths half open, apparently dead, but snorting like 

 so many steam-engines ! 



Old Jack did not imitate his comrades until he had 



