A NIGHT IN THE OPEN 119 



night was becoming very cold and more logs were 

 heaped on. 



From away off in the distance, perhaps across the 

 ridge, on another watershed, the plaintive call of a cow 

 moose was heard. A splash in the water below the 

 dam told of a muskrat or a mink, more probably the 

 latter, as the locality was hardly the one to attract a 

 muskrat. 



Down the stream an owl hooted occasionally, and 

 once a piercing scream of some small animal in distress 

 was heard. Imagination suggested that a fox had 

 caught a rabbit or maybe an owl had caught one. But 

 it was all guesswork. 



The stars shone beautifully bright and the noise of 

 the falling water was most soothing, changing its tone 

 and volume every minute apparently ; it made a fit- 

 ting lullaby for the tired body and brain, and to its 

 cadence I once more fell asleep. 



A branch broke to the back of me. It was a deer 

 stealing through the thicket. He could be plainly 

 heard, but not seen. " Again the fire got low and once 

 more it was necessary to pile on more wood. The night 

 was getting yet colder, and every article of clothing 

 which I had with me was now necessary to keep me at 

 all comfortable. 



At last sleep with many such interruptions became 

 an impossibility, and toward morning I gave up the at- 

 tempt. Hardly had the first streak of daylight flashed 



