BIRCH BROWSINGS. 205 



far out in the lake. Upon the trunk and branches 

 the frogs had soon collected in large numbers, and 

 gamboled and splashed about the half-submerged top, 

 like a parcel of school-boys, making nearly as much 

 noise. 



After dark, as I was frying the fish, a panful of 

 the largest trout was accidentally capsized in the fire. 

 With rueful countenances we contemplated the irrep- 

 arable loss our commissariat had sustained by this 

 mishap ; but remembering there was virtue in ashes, 

 we poked the half-consumed fish from the bed of coals 

 and ate them, and they were good. 



We lodged that night on a brush-heap and slept 

 soundly. The green, yielding beech-twigs, covered 

 with a buffalo robe, were equal to a hair mattress. 

 The heat and smoke from a large fire kindled in the 

 afternoon had banished every " no-see-em " from the 

 locality, and in the morning the sun was above the 

 mountain before we awoke. 



I immediately started again for the inlet, and went 

 far up the stream toward its source. A fair string of 

 trout for breakfast was my reward. The cattle with 

 the bell were at the head of the valley, where they 

 bad passed the night. Most of them were two-year- 

 old steers. They came up to me and begged for salt, 

 and scared the fish by their importunities. 



We finished our bread that morning, and ate every 

 fish we could catch, and about ten o'clock prepared 

 to leave the lake. The weather had been admirable, 

 nd the lake was a gem, and I would gladly have 



