BIRCH BROWSINGS. 187 



hint, I tore down through the woods at my highest 

 speed. Then I paused and listened again. This time 

 there was no mistaking it ; it was the sound of frogs. 

 Much elated, I rushed on. By and by I could hear 

 them as I ran. Pthrung, pthrung, croaked the old 

 ones ; pug, pug, shrilly joined in the smaller fry. 



Then I caught, through the lower trees,- a gleam of 

 blue, which I first thought was distant sky. A second 

 look and I knew it to be water, and in a moment more 

 I stepped from the woods and stood upon the shore 

 of the lake. I exulted silently. There it was at last, 

 sparkling in the morning sun, and as beautiful as a 

 dream. It was so good to come upon such open space 

 and such bright hues, after wandering in the dim, dense 

 woods ! The eye is as delighted as an escaped bird, 

 and darts gleefully from point to point. 



The lake was a long oval, scarcely more than a mile 

 in circumference, with evenly wooded shores, which 

 rose gradually on all sides. After contemplating the 

 scene for a moment, I stepped back into the woods 

 and loading my gun as heavily as I dared, discharged 

 it three times. The reports seemed to fill all the 

 mountains with sound. The frogs quickly hushed, 

 and I listened for the response. But no response 

 came. Then I tried again, and again, but without 

 evoking an answer. One of my companions, however, 

 who had climbed to the top of the high rocks in the 

 rear of the spring, thought he heard faintly one re- 

 port. It seemed an immense distance below him, and 



