90 LONESOME BOOK. 



that stand up like grim giants away off in the East, and 

 twilight began to throw its grey mantle over the lake ; still 

 he was alone. The darkness began to gather around him ; 

 the forests along the shore to lose their distinctness and to 

 stand in sombre and shadowy outline above the water ; still 

 no prospect of relief presented itself. The twilight faded 

 from the West, the stars stole out in the heavens, the milky 

 way stretched its belt of light across the sky, and there he 

 sat alone still on his rock, the night dews falling around 

 him, and the night voices of the forest coming solemnly 

 out over the water. Things had now assumed a serious 

 aspect. He could not stretch his limbs save by stand- 

 ing erect, and it seemed inevitable that he must watch 

 the stars during the night, as he had watched the sun dur- 

 ing the day. To sleep there was out of the question 

 There was no room for a sleeping posture, and the danger 

 of rolling down the rock into the water kept him wide 

 awake. At length the pleasant sound of oars, and voices 

 in jolly converse, fell upon his ear, and he shouted. Two 

 sportsmen were returning from the Upper Lakes, and right 

 welcome was the answer they returned to his call. He was 

 glad enough to be released from his rock, upon which, as he 

 said, ' he had made up his mind that he should be compelled 

 to roost, like a turkey on the ridge of a barn, for the 

 night.' 



" To go back from this digression," continued the Doctor, 

 " I repeat that every man has a vein of the vagabond, a 

 streak of the savage in him, which can never be clean 



