AN UNCOMFORTABLE NIGHT. 27 



through the darkness, the groaning of the trees as they 

 swayed to and fro beneath the force of the tempest, 

 the rending of branches and the crash of falling trunks, 

 filled the air, and, together with the soaking rain, pre- 

 vented the party from sleeping. Indeed, they preferred 

 to sit cowering over the fire, which, despite pine-knots 

 in plenty, they could scarcely manage to keep a-light. 



The hilarity which they had displayed earlier in the 

 evening now gave place to silent gloom, occasionally 

 broken by a dissatisfied growl from old Jake. A few 

 yards from the camp, on the windward side, stood a 

 clump of large pines, two of which were dead, and 

 stretched abroad their white and scathed branches. 

 The old hunter glanced uneasily at these once or twice, 

 when suddenly a gust fiercer, than usual howled down 

 the valley, and, with a report like a field-piece, the 

 larger of the two trees snapped across, and fell with a 

 crash almost across the fire. 



" I knowed it," said Jake ; " that blamed tree wur a 

 wheezin' an' a coughin' at us all night. I guess we'd 

 better shift the canoe out o' whur it is. That old stack 

 o' faggots wur nigh on doin' fur it !" 



Accordingly the lads rose, and with old Jake's assist- 

 ance carefully lifted the canoe and put it in a place of 

 safety. None too soon had this precaution been taken, 

 as they now perceived that, swollen with the rain, the 

 river had risen to within a few inches of the spot on 

 which the boat had lain. 



Towards morning the gale moderated and the rain 



