110 THE ST. REGIS AND SARANACS. 



ning about upon the stunted grass, or peering at us from 

 beliind their nuxk^st motliers in the doorways, as we passed, 

 Avliile the huml)le sehool-liouse gave evidence that even 

 here the Anun-ican idea of education was not forgotten. 

 The men looked lionest and sincere, but sad, I thought, as 

 if, after all, this life of poverty' and seclusion was far from 

 satisfying. 



Passing this peculiar and excei)tional feature of the wil- 

 derness, we were again among the trees, climbing and 

 descending hills where the forest growth was sparse, or in 

 the midst of heavy timber, — sometimes crossing streams, 

 and skirting lakelets and the more andjitious waters, Osgood 

 Pond and Barnum's Pond. At one point we came upon a 

 group of tall Norway spruces that looked like importations 

 indeed. At anotlier, we passed the borders of a tamarack 

 swamp, notable as the place where many a deer had been 

 stealthily hunted and shot. In the sandy road-wa}' we 

 saw the fresh, clear-cut tracks of a doe and hvv fawn. 



Suddenl}', among the trees appeared a telegrapli pole, 

 and another, and a single wire stretclied l)etween, and we 

 wheeled into a travel-worn road along which the telegrai>h 

 line ran, — the most startling symbol of civilization that one 

 could come ui)on in the wilderness. We followed this line 

 a mile or less, and drew up in front of a spacious and im- 

 posing hotel. — Paul Smith's. . Had this droj^ped, a ])alace, 

 from the skies? Were we waking, or dreaming!'' Whence 

 came all these fastidiousl}- dressed men and women and 

 children? The entire picture presented was a marvel to one 

 for many days a dweller at the quiet little log-house on 



