THE HALCYON IN CANADA 199 



made chairs, and had such broken and disjointed 

 talk as we could manage. Our host had lived in 

 Quebec and been a school-teacher there; he had 

 wielded the birch until he lost his health, when he 

 came here and the birches gave it back to him. He 

 was now hearty and well, and had a family of six or 

 seven children about him. 



We were given a good bed that night, and fared 

 better than we expected. About one o'clock I was 

 awakened by suppressed voices outside the window. 

 Who could it be ? Had a band of brigands sur- 

 rounded the house ? As our outfit and supplies had 

 not been removed from the wagon in front of the 

 door I got up, and, lifting one corner of the window 

 paper, peeped out : I saw in the dim moonlight four 

 or five men standing about engaged in low conversa- 

 tion. Presently one of the men advanced to the 

 door and began to rap and call the name of our host. 

 Then I knew their errand was not hostile; but the 

 weird effect of that regular alternate rapping and 

 calling ran through my dream all the rest of the 

 night. Rat-tat, tat, tat, La Chance ; rat-tat, 

 tat, La Chance, five or six times repeated before 

 La Chance heard and responded. Then the door 

 opened and they came in, when it was jabber, jab- 

 ber, jabber in the next room till I fell asleep. 



In the morning, to my inquiry as to who the trav- 

 elers were and what they wanted, La Chance said 

 they were old acquaintances going a-fishing, and had 

 stopped to have a little talk. 



Breakfast was served early, and we were upon the 



