310 THE ADIRONDACK. 



and was somewhat startled to come upon Martin rudely 

 staining the pine coffin for the guide-boy, who was to be 

 taken in the afternoon to a little settlement on the Au 

 Sable and buried. The breakfast-table was dull, the 

 two ladies looked disappointed, and in-doors and out- 

 doors everything seemed uncomfortable. A nortb-east 

 storm is welcome nowhere, bad enough on the sea coast, 

 and still worse in the woods. Two gentlemen, how- 

 ever, contributed very much to relieve the tedium of 

 the day by their account of parties that had been in and 



out. Dr. E , formerly of New York, and Mr. 



B , have been here all summer, and design to re- 

 main till fall. They came in invalids, but are now as 

 robust as lions. Having been here so long, they con- 

 sider new comers as rather guests, and pleasanter hosts 

 could not be found. Two more thorough gentlemen 

 and agreeable companions one could not wish to meet 

 in or out of the woods. 



Towards noon, as I was looking down or up the lake, 

 for it is both down and up (the outlet being a little over 

 midway on one side), I saw in the narrow channel 

 between two islands, nearly two miles distant, three row- 

 boats approaching. There was no place to come from 

 but the woods, and it was evident they were some camp- 



