222 THE HALCYON IN CANADA. 



We were now fairly among the mountains, and 

 the sun was well down behind the trees when we 

 entered upon the post-road. It proved to be a wide, 

 well-built highway, grass-grown, but in good condi- 

 tion. After an hour's travel we began to see signs of 

 a clearing, and about six o'clock drew up in front of 

 the long, low, log habitation of La Chance. Their 

 hearth-stone was out-door at this season, and its 

 smoke rose through the still atmosphere in a frail col- 

 umn toward the sky. The family was gathered hero 

 and welcomed us cordially as we drew up, the mas- 

 ter shaking us by 'the hand as if we were old friends. 

 His English was very poor and our French was 

 poorer, but with Joe as a bridge between us, com- 

 munication on a pitch was kept up. His wife could 

 speak no English ; but here true French politeness 

 and graciousness was a language we could readily un- 

 derstand. Our supper was got ready from our own 

 supplies, while we sat or stood in the open air about 

 the fire. The .clearing comprised fifty or sixty acres 

 of rough land in the bottom of a narrow valley, and 

 bore indifferent crops of oats, barley, potatoes, and 

 timothy grass. The latter was just in bloom, being 

 a month or more later than with us. The primitive 

 woods, mostly of birch, with a sprinkling of spruce, 

 put a high cavernous wall about the scene. How 

 sweetly the birds sang, their notes seeming to have 

 unusual strength and volume in this forest-bound 



o 



opening ! The principal singer was the white-throat* 

 ed sparrow, which we heard and saw everywhere 03 



