338 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. 



they are totally opposed to one another in habits of life, 

 the one preferring the open, heather - covered mountain 

 slopes wild as a hawk, unless when engaged with family 

 cares the other, thoughtless and careless of danger, and 

 never seen away from the densest retreats of the woods. 

 So tame are the Canada grouse that, during my residence 

 in Maine, I knew one of the hotel proprietor's sons to catch 

 an old cock-bird by slipping a noose attached to the end 

 of a stick over its head. But our promenade is near an 

 end. The woods appear less dense as we advance, and 

 soon the flag that floats over the shanty which is to be our 

 future dormitory appears in view, with the placid waters 

 of Richardson Lake close by, while numerous irregular 

 hills, all clothed with pine timber to the summit, form the 

 background. 



Generally this beautiful lake is smooth as glass, without 

 a ripple, excepting what may be caused by the break of 

 fish, or sudden appearance or descent of the great Northern 

 diver, whose wild, weird notes have not un frequently star- 

 tled the uninitiated, brought a cold shiver to their system, 

 or vividly recalled stories of ghosts, sprites, panthers, and 

 wild-cats. You are at last fairly in the wilds, miles from 

 man's habitation if you except a couple of fishing shanties 

 only occupied a few weeks yearly. You may strain your 

 eyes up and down, no snow-white smiling cottage will greet 

 your vision. This country is the same still as in the days 

 when the red man knew no superior, and owned every inch 

 of soil from the Atlantic to the Pacific, save it be that the 

 cruel axe of the lumberman has culled out the choicest 

 giant monarchs of the forest. But having done a pretty 

 good day's walking, we may as well lay up for an hour or 

 so before making our debut on the Androscoggin ; more- 

 over, the trout in the middle of the day do not rise so freely, 

 and a couple of hours' work in the evening, if the weather 



