^^^ 'l^IIE BEAVEE TirVER WATERS. 



Tlie Chief Guitle now came to the front,— -Gentlemen, 

 it's rabbits ! They're thicker in these woods than toads after 

 a shower. They always skip and scoot around camp after 

 dark, looking for something to eat. I felt one nibbling at 

 the toe of my boot, but scar't him off and went to sleep 

 again.-There! "-going to the pile of luggage at the foot 

 of a tree near l)y-" the pesky rascals have been guawino- 

 my pack-straps! They'll gnaw greasy leather every timeT 

 I sha'n't go to sleep again to-night,-ril build up a rousino- 

 fire and watch the little scamps or we sha'n't have a whole 

 thing left by morning." And the faithful fellow did as he 

 said, while the vision of snakes faded out entirely; and we 

 slept again and dreamed of armies and hosts of light-footed 

 but predatory rabbits surrounding our camp and waitinc. 

 to see the Chief Guide nod before proceeding to gnaw the 

 flesh off from our bones. 



Morning brought a solution of the mystery of the Man- 

 ager's absence, and the doubt upon which we had in a pri- 

 mitive way gone to bed, in the person of the Manager's 

 guide. Indeed, he was more anxious than we. We were 

 the " lost." He knew where he was all the while, but was 

 unable to say whether we were as fortunate as to our own 

 situation. The Chief Guide and he were discoursing as we 

 awoke. It turned out that the Manager and his man had 

 missed South Branch entirely, and gone five miles further 

 up-stream, to "Little Rapids," where there was a sorry 

 prospect for the night; but fortunately two gentlemen were 

 there encamped for the night, and to their bed and board- 

 such as they had to offer-the wanderers were invited. All 



