CHAPTER III 



MOTHERLESS BABIES 



Adolph Buzze was a Canadian wood-chopper, 

 the only one left of a gang of his country-men 

 who had helped denude the township, where the 

 small boy lived, of the primeval forest; all the 

 rest had drifted north and westward on the skir- 

 mish line of advancing settlement. To the small 

 boy, Adolph became a guide, philosopher, and 

 friend, and to him, he owed all his boyish knowl- 

 edge of wood-craft. Born in the woods, always 

 living in the woods, with eyes of wonder for every 

 thing passing about him, his knowledge of wood- 

 folks and wood-land ways was remarkable; now 

 add to this, wonderful gaity, cheerfulness and 

 perpetual laughter, and you have a personality 

 calculated to take captive the heart of a child. 

 His limited knowledge of English, added to, 

 rather than detracted from, the charm of his con- 

 versation. Here are a few examples. Pointing 

 to the criss-crossing of all manner of wild animal 

 tracks in the snow, he would say at the end of a 

 ripple and laughter: 



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