LooKkING FoR ANTLERS. 147 


pronounce it sundown. But walking out into our little clear- 
ing all brightens out again for awhile from the sun beauti- 
fully painting all the lower western sky with its most, brilliant 
and soft mellow tints of red and gold, smiling a bright 
promise for the next to-morrow. <A few tired steps from the 
spruces are taken and we are standing at the door of our cosy 
camp, hanging up the rifles that had grown to be rather 
heavy for the last mile. But an hour from this, after a warm 
hearty supper (which hardly ever gives the ¢ramp bad 
dreams) we have forgotten our weariness and shall be just 
as anxious in the morning following, to again cruise over 
their favorite haunts, seeking an interview with one of fine 
antlers. 
And again in the morning after having breakfast and tidy- 
ing up the camp, we could not resist the longing that seems 
ever to come to us in the bright days with the greater power. 
Though these would be considered cold, uncomfortable days 
to those outside in the large clearing, or riding over the hills, 
here in the deep woods where the winds are kept above the 
lower limbs, sweeping over the tops only with much power, 
while the sun finds its way under and down between the trees 
and branches, seeking out all those quiet chances, lighting 
up the trunks and lower limbs until they smile again from its 
grateful warmth, here a greater part of many days in winter it 
is glorious. So the lunch is put up, as it has been so many 
times before, that we seem to have it ready in the lunch bag 
and over our shoulder, without it having required any think- 
ing over at all or disturbing our planning out our course. 
Out to the midst of the wildwood we go along, with the 
sunshine among the trees, down the south-west trail, spotted or 
blazed with the axe mark upon the trees for miles, which as 
