268 Trails to Woods and Waters 



learn much by keeping his eyes and ears 

 open." 



That evening after supper we piled our 

 camp fire high with dry limbs that I had gath- 

 ered for the purpose, and old Ben told me 

 camp fire tales until all thoughts of sleep left 

 me and I was as wide awake as an owl. 



Finally, he turned in and I sat there in the 

 cheerful firelight with my back against an old 

 log listening to the pleasant night sounds and 

 thinking of what a wonderful place the forest 

 was, now I was learning to love it. 



The great pines, upon the bluff back of the 

 camp, sighed mournfully and the night winds 

 answered them in low soughing tones. 



Far away in the woods a fox barked his 

 sharp, short bark. The great horned owl 

 sounded his hunting cry and then listened for 

 the prey to betray its whereabouts. A little 

 screech owl whistled shrilly and a tree frog 

 took up the same strain. The tree frog's 

 song was still trembling in my ears when I 

 fell asleep beside the camp fire and dreamed 

 a terrible dream. 



