SHOULD THE HuntTER Get Lost. 33 


this, he stands in reverie, but he should not, as he wants every 
moment of the remaining light to prepare for his camping. 
A partridge over his head now begins to scold him for 
intruding upon her feeding ground, when he quickly: raises 
his rifle, steadying the barrel against a tree (our old critic 
could have done it off-hand) ; the leaden messenger takes off 
his head, which falls with, and close beside the quivering 
bird upon the ground. In two moments this is skinned, 
dressed, cleansed in the brook and hanging upon a limb. At 
the foot of the large yellow birch tree upon which the grouse 
was feeding, large bare prominent roots reach out from the 
birch to right and left, forming a natural fire place, the tree 
conducting upwards most of the smoke, serving as a very nice 
chimney. Seeing this he cuts a small beech, gets two pieces 
from it for stakes, drives them close beside and outside of the 
two roots, giving him a good resting place for his fore-sticks. 
He now cuts wood for the fire, maple and birch, with a few 
good sized sticks to burn till morning ; chips off all loose bark 
from his large birch chimney high as he can reach with his 
axe, for kindlings, and to prevent their burning and dropping 
down upon him. He has now a stock of wood; should he 
need more he must get it by firelight or torch. But as yet he 
needs no fire, his coat is off hanging upon a branch, the 
perspiration is out upon his brow; he stops a moment and 
turns his face to catch a little of the cool north-wester, which 
now and again puffs over the higher land, and he smiles to 
think it’s all right and he is soon to have a good chance for 
the night. A spruce six or eight inches at the bottom is cut 
down, the thick growth of branches are trimmed off and 
thrown in a heap. Thinking more boughs would be nice, 
another spruce is sacrificed and its branches added. Next he 
