After Caribou 105 



wall-tent; tall trees, chiefly birches and bal- 

 sams, surrounding the enclosure at a radius of 

 several rods' distance from the tent. One by 

 one the many-colored leaves were dropping 

 from the trees, making a rustling noise in their 

 descent, and gradually covering the earth, 

 creating conditions very unfavorable for 

 stalking game. Towards evening the trees 

 began to sway backward and forward at their 

 tops, as the wind started to rise. As the wind 

 increased, clouds gathered, and all signs known 

 to backwoodsmen, from the circle around the 

 moon on the previous night to the croaking of 

 frogs, indicated a storm and rain. All night 

 long the wind whistled through the forest ; and 

 as I lay on my balsam couch the trees creaked 

 and groaned, reminding us of the possibility 

 of one of them letting go at the roots and com- 

 ing crashing down upon us. Occasionally we 

 could hear a crashing noise in some one direc- 

 tion, then in another, caused by the forest trees 

 falling, cut by the invisible axe of old Jove. 



Through it all we could hear the screeching 

 and scampering of wood-rats as they gam- 

 bolled over the tent as if at a game of hide-and- 



