108 Tre Aroostook Woops. 

woodland is seen, far inland. Here upon the mossy bank 
and point is an otter playground and sliding; as it is not in 
season for trapping the otter they are not at all careful about 
stepping upon, or walking over their works and examine with 
much interest their playground. They see where the otter 
walk up from the water to their playground to the head of the 
slide, around rather than over the slide, then tarrying at the play- 
ground, they frolic and play about, over a small piece of 
ground, scratching and pawing up the moss and small sticks 
in little heaps, before sliding down, plump! into the water 
again. 
** They have been here during the last rain,” says Joe. 
‘*Correct, and will be most likely to visit their circus ground 
? 
during the next storm,” adds Cronie. ‘+A few left, as yet, 
but they do not increase as fast as one could wish, and which 
to the trapper and sportsman is a regret and not pleasant to 
be assured of. And should we hear the regular trapper com- 
plain of this, we may say to him, as the little brother said to 
the elder one, ‘Johnny, your pie can’t last if you take such 
big bites.’” 
Here they now build a fire a piece away from the otter’s 
slide, make a cup of tea and have their dinner. A large bird 
of the crane family being on the marsh, a little way down the 
wind, is disturbed by their smoke and gives them an exhibi- 
tion of those sounds from which he has gained the name 
(among hunters) of ‘*Stake Driver,” as the sounds are much 
like driving a stake into the earth. ‘* Ah-k-chunk !—Ah-k- 
chunk.” A peculiar sound for a bird, and to Cronie’s surprise 
Joe asks: 
‘¢What in the world is that?” 
Cronie allows his dinner to get cold while giving Joe 

