no THE ADVENTURES OF A NATURE GUIDE 



out my knowing it, the prospectors had followed me. 

 They thought I might have located a rich mine, 

 and my queer conduct, in their eyes, was simply a 

 ruse to throw them off their guard. 



When far down the slope I concluded to count 

 the number of trees in about an acre of dense spruce 

 growth. After measuring the area I paced back 

 and forth among the trees, touching each in turn, 

 talking to one now and then, and making many 

 oral comments. All the time, without my suspect- 

 ing it, the three prospectors lay hidden near by 

 watching my every move, hearing some of the 

 things that I said, and doubtless commenting 

 scornfully upon the show. 



On this acre were 2,741 spruces. I discovered 

 a charred pitch-pine stump in the spruce area. It 

 was closely surrounded by spruces about two 

 hundred years of age. The presence of this fire- 

 coloured, fire-charred stump puzzled me, for I did 

 not then know that this region had been swept 

 by a forest fire about two hundred years before 

 and that the stump had received fire-preservative 

 treatment which enabled it to endure with but 

 little change. With my hatchet I split off a piece 

 of the wood and drawing my magnifying glass lay 

 down to examine it. This proceeding was too 

 much for the prospectors. They rushed upon me, 

 demanding to know if I had found gold, and were 

 disgusted to see me examining a piece of pitch- 

 pine. Their comments were so uncivil that I 



