64 WILD BROTHER 



"Show's over fer the night," announced the 

 hostler. "Next performance will be at seven- 

 thirty to-morrer mornin'. Buy your tickets now 

 and avoid the rush !" 



The next day we continued our journey, and 

 about noon came to the highlands that overlook 

 the valley where lie the Schoodic Lakes, which 

 form the headwaters of the St. Croix River. 

 Stretching south, far into New Brunswick, lay an 

 unbroken forest. 



Our camp stands in an open field some distance 

 above the shore of one of the smaller lakes. Quite 

 near it are a farmhouse, several farm buildings, a 

 club house and a number of small camps. All were 

 under the management and watchful care of the 

 farmer, a genial gentleman of the old school, called 

 by his admiring sportsmen friends, " the squire. " 

 Visitors at all the camps and the club house get 

 their meals at the squire's. 



The open land of this little settlement is sur- 

 rounded by woods, which at that time were well 

 peopled with the usual wood-folk of the Maine for- 

 est. Deer were plentiful; the woods were full of 

 porcupines. Foxes and raccoons were often seen. 

 Black bears frequently came into the clearing and 

 worried the sheep. Mink and otter frequented the 

 shores of lakes and brooks ; and often in the sum- 

 mer-time the moose came in to feed on the lily-pads 



