,, over the same trail. Then I knew what I 

 loo 



would find at the other end of it, and was not 



at all surprised when it led me to the open 

 * yard of a big lumber camp beside the river. 



There is always a fascination in such 

 places, where men have lived their simple 

 lives in the heart of the woods, shut out 

 from all the rest of the world during the 

 long winter; so I began to prowl quietly 

 about the shanties to see what I could find. 

 The door of the low stable swung invitingly 

 open, but it was a dark, musty, ill-smelling 

 place now, though cozy enough in winter, 

 and only the porcupines had invaded it. 

 I left it after a glance and came round to 

 the men's shanty. 



The door of this was firmly locked ; but 

 a big hole had been torn in the roof by 

 bears, and I crawled in by that entrance. 

 Mooween had been here many times ahead 

 of me. Every corner of the big room, the 

 bunks and the cupboards and even the 

 stove, had been ransacked from one end to 

 the other; and the strong, doggy smell of a 

 bear was everywhere, showing how recently 



