398 THE ADIRONDACK. 



guides could come back next day for it. "We agreed to 

 this, and pushed across to Forked Lake. It was dark 

 when we launched on its bosom; and the mountains 

 being very high around it at this end, and there being 

 no moon, we soon were inclosed in utter blackness, save 

 where the narrow sky, scolloped up by the inky heights 

 above us, revealed a winding belt of twinkling stars. 

 The lake is well named " Crooked or Forked" for we 

 wound in and out amid the mountains as though we were 

 following the channel of a stream. The shadows of the 

 overhanging masses made the water black as ink, and I 

 began to be suspicious that Charlie did not know where 

 he was going, and I finally asked him if he wasn't lost. 

 " No," he replied, " I think not. Just ahead must be a 

 narrow pass through a long row of rocks — once beyond 

 that, and I shall be all right." Sure enough, we soon 

 reached a black, jagged line across the water. Shooting 

 through this, we came to the open lake, and sweeping 

 rapidly past overhanging islands, soon came in sight 

 of the hunters' cabin — so Charlie said — though I 

 could not see it. "Let's fire a salute," he exclaimed, 

 and the next minute our rifles cracked together through 

 the still air. In a few moments a loud halloo came out 

 of the darkness, which we answered with a will. 



