198 LOCUSTS AND WILD HONEY 



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

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

 hearthstone was outdoor at this season, and its 

 smoke rose through the still atmosphere in a frail 

 column toward the sky. The family was gathered 

 here and welcomed us cordially as we drew up, the 

 master 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, 

 communication on a pinch was kept up. His wife 

 could speak no English; but her true Erench po- 

 liteness and graciousness was a language we could 

 readily understand. 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 sprink- 

 ling 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 opening ! The principal singer was the 

 white-throated sparrow, which we heard and saw 

 everywhere on the route. He is called here la 

 sijffleur (the whistler), and very delightful his whis- 

 tle was. From the forest came the evening hymn 

 of a thrush, the olive-backed perhaps, like, but less 

 clear and full than, the veery's. 



In the evening we sat about the fire in rude home- 



