ADIRONDAC. 95 



trusty servant behind, and had not some wizard of 

 the night stepped into his place ? A slight splashing 

 iii-shore broke the spell and caused me to turn nerv- 

 ously to the oarsman : " Musquash," said he, and kept 

 straight on. 



Nearing the extreme end of the pond, the boat 

 gently headed around, and silently we glided back 

 into the clasp of that strange orbit. Slight sounds 

 were heard as before, but nothing that indicated the 

 presence of the game we were waiting for ; and we 

 reached the point of departure as innocent of veni- 

 son as we had set out. 



After an hour's delay, and near midnight, we 

 pushed out again. My vigilance and susceptibility 

 were rather sharpened than dulled by the waiting ; 

 and the features of the night had also deepened and 

 intensified. Night was at its meridian. The sky 

 .iad that soft luminousness which may often be ob- 

 served near midnight at this season, and the " large 

 few stars " beamed mildly down. We floated out 

 into that spectral shadow-land and moved slowly on 

 as before. The silence was most impressive. Now 

 and then the faint yeap of some traveling bird would 

 come from the air overhead, or the wings of a bat 

 whisp quickly by, or an owl hoot off in the mount- 

 ains, giving to the silence and loneliness a tongue. 

 At short intervals some noise in-shore would startle 

 me, and cause me to turn inquiringly to the silent 

 *igure in the stern. 



The end of the lake was reached, and we turned 



