146 Tue Aroostook Woops. 

admiring herd, as he flourishes ovr axtlers to right and left, 
up and down, while he stands upon a hillock before them, all 
about the two fantastic hunters sitting down to their dinner, 
right at the back windows of his sleeping apartment, and 
then puffing their tobacco smoke directly in his eyes, just to 
awaken him and see him trot away over the long bare reaches 
of the pond for their amusement. Moral: don’t smoke 
tobacco. 
As he wades over the higher drifts on the shore far beyond, 
looking half his size, and disappears entirely from our view, 
we note his course due south, and remark, ’tis possible we 
may see his track again, if not himself, as his route will take 
him across our track on the trail over which we come and go, 
to and from the barrens. Bidding him good-bye in tone and 
word brimful of kindly feeling toward him, we keep on our 
way up the barren. Soon leaving this behind, as the after- 
noon sun grows more chary of its warmth, we then point 
for the trail that leads us through the swamps, over the rise, 
upon the ridges and on to camp. Passing on our way as we 
predicted we might, the fresh track of the buck that had 
crossed over before us. Just here we remember, while 
comparing notes as to form and size of his tracks, we were 
scolded for stopping beneath them, as we have often been 
before, by a pair of partridges while budding (eating the 
buds of the yellow birch). The birds were quickly cared 
for, for at such a time, and when our breakfast seems a long 
past dream, experience tells us they will be quite tasty. 
As‘the shades were thickening beneath the spruces on the 
knoll, where we were held up so suddenly in the morning by 
old Mr. Boreas, lowering down the white sheets, hiding our 
way and disputing our free passage until after his circus, we 
