EVENING IN THE WOODS. 243 



such observations as we have given above, old Jake 

 rose from his lair by the fire, and unsheathing his 

 shining bowie-knife, cut a long straight sapling, which 

 he trimmed of its branches, and split at one end length- 

 wise for some ten or twelve inches. Having effected 

 this to his satisfaction, the old fellow picked up Plum- 

 centre, and slinging that redoubtable weapon to the 

 hunter's " carry," he called to the young men, 



" Drop yer star-gazin' thur, an' step out fur the Lick. 

 I reckin 'twill be as dark as the inside of a tar-tub 

 afore we gits thur." 



Seizing their rifles, the lads accompanied the veteran, 

 Pierre leading the way as guide. The sun was swiftly 

 declining towards the horizon, and had already fallen 

 behind the forest, through the myriad vistas of which 

 he shot his beams in sheaves of gold. Here and there 

 a silver birch upon some elevation caught the rays upon 

 its shining stem, and shimmered far through the woods; 

 but more often the topmost boughs of the trees alone 

 were lighted up with the glorious reflection of the 

 west, which gradually deepened till the summit of the 

 forest seemed bathed in carmine. This faded slowly 

 away, and gloom at once seemed to spring forward 

 towards our hunters from among the recesses of the 

 woods. Outside the tree tops a gray twilight gradually 

 prevailed over the lingering daylight, while beneath 

 their tenebrous boughs all was sombre and mys- 

 terious. 



Pierre and Gaultier, who, as we observed when first 



(786) 16 



