THE edttok's revenge. 153 



" Don't you suppose this door oaii be fastened, boys?", 

 said the end man. 



"Oh, no," responded a fortunate middle-man ; "and a 

 l)anther wouldn't mind that old rag-, anyway, for a minute." 



"We are lucky," said another insider, " if he don't 

 pounce on this old bark roof, and come at us in that way." 



"Hark!" cried, the man of nerves, "did you hear 

 that?" 



It was a piercing crj- in the forest. 



" What shall we do ? " in chorus. 



" Do ? " answered the Editor, "say your prayers and go 

 to sleep. It has come to a pretty pass, that a sc-reecli owl 

 can drive you fellows all wild with fear." 



The sup]iressed merriment exploded at this point, and the 

 end man, sadl}^ silent, laid himself down to sleep, wiser in 

 wood-lore than he had been before. The Editor had his 

 revenge for "snakes in his lioots," l»ut nobody was afraid 

 of panthers aft(U' that. 



The days go on in the wilderness all too swiftly. To the 

 lover of the woods no hours drag heavily, except when a 

 long, drizzling rain settles down over forest and lake, and 

 there are only the canij) and the smudge and Ihe old worn- 

 out stories to entertain. It must be confessed that when 

 such hours drag out into days tliey are severely irksome, 

 and one thinks of comfort;ible ofllce and home libi-ai'y and 

 domestic circle. But when the sun comes out again, the 

 transformation both of nature and the camper's spirits is 

 complete. Then the life of the woods seems doubl}' joy- 

 ous. The day of departure is no longer looked for with 

 5 



