144 ADVENTURES IN THE WILDERNESS. 



threw some heavy logs upon the fire, and, reclining 

 upon our blankets, gazed off over the lake. The 

 moon was nearly at the full. Her rounded orb 

 was just appearing above the eastern mountains, 

 and across the tranquil water she poured her pure ■ 

 white radiance. The lake lay motionless ; not a 

 wave, not even a ripple, broke the smooth surface. 

 Above, the sky was cloudless. Suspended in 

 the still ether, a few of the larger stars strug- 

 gled for existence. Weak and vain such rivalry ! 

 for the queen of night held open audience, and 

 their lesser lights paled in her more brilliant pres- 

 ence. The woods Avere dumb. Silence brooded 

 in the heavy pines and amid the darker firs. 

 The balsams, through their spear-like stems, yield- 

 ed their fragrance upon an air too motionless to 

 waft it. Even the dull roar of the rapids was so 

 even in tone, that, instead of disturbing, it seemed 

 rather to deepen the all-pervading silence. 



"Mr. Murray," said John, at length, "do you 

 know that we are camped on haunted ground ? " 



" Haunted ground 1 " I returned, raising myself 

 upon my elbow, and turning toward him. " ^Vhat 

 do you mean ? You don't believe in ghosts, do 

 you?" 



"Well, I don't know," replied John, "what to 

 believe ; but some of the old trappers tell queer 

 stories about this place, and I know that, just 

 fifteen years ago this month, I made my camp 



J 



