LOST IN A CEDAR SWAMP 137 



lost at least once and sometimes of tener. Guides them- 

 selves, who- are popularly supposed never to lose their 

 way, often become bewildered and then it is ludicrous 

 to hear their profuse explanation of how it all happened. 



Last August a gentleman with his wife and aunt 

 spent the whole month in camp on " Our Lake." One 

 of their guides was a man who lives in that vicinity only 

 some six miles away. He has lumbered on the tract, 

 and, therefore, ought to have known every acre of the 

 ground in the whole thirty -six square miles. 



He used to indulge at times in very strong language 

 in the years that are past ; but, by reason of his minis- 

 trations as guide to these two ladies for three or more 

 seasons, he had become very careful of the words 

 used in their presence. 



One day a trip to the upper dam was planned, and it 

 fell to Abe's lot to pilot the ladies up there and back. 



The " Auntie " is over threescore and ten, while the 

 niece is many, many years younger. Nothing un- 

 toward happened until the ladies noticed that Abe 

 was thrashing through a fringe of alders and asking 

 them to follow. They knew full well that as their road 

 led up a ridge they should not be pushing through al- 

 ders, which always grow near to water. 



At once it dawned upon them that he was lost. 

 " Are we lost, Abe ? " they said in unison, and breath- 

 lessly they awaited his answer. 



" Oh, no, ladies ; we're not lost ! Why, I could find 



