198 THE Aroostook Woops. 
then freezing, 
sleds would bear up. 
At last, after a few tumbles and the usual upsets, we came 
in sight of well-known rolling land, anon the brook, and then 
we could pull out over it as large a load as the 
the hunting lodge. We find it snowed in up to the windows, 
but after digging down with a snowshoe we get the shed door 
open, pull in the sleds, unlock and open the camp door, and 
light the lamps and a fire. A basket of birch bark for shav- 
ings, dry cedar and yellow birch wood being at hand soon 
heat up, changing the air and obliging us to swing open the 
door, and slide back the ventilator in the roof. 
In camp again; how cosy it is, everything in its place, as 
handy as when we left in the fall; even the wild goose wing 
and dust pan, hang together as of yore. Hi! there is a 
mouse; this night he is choked to death between wood and 
wire, enticed by a piece of fresh doughnut. 
Sleds unloaded, packages put in place, then supper of 
sausages, with fresh home made bread, Aroostook doughnuts 
and a cup of tea; next comes the fragrant smoke and then the 
welcome bunk. 
This time we carry in a nickle clock; it will be company 
to hear its merry tick, and useful as well. We wind it up 
whilst Joe is out and set the alarm at four o’clock. Joe likes 
to sleep, and sometimes rather late mornings, which we tell 
him is a sad misfortune to become chronic with a sportsman, 
leading to a wonderful low, dull, stagnant state of animation 
and enthusiasm, wasting the most beautiful, bracing, and 
enjoyable part of the pleasant days. Besides this is not good 
for him, as he is too fat already to skip about light and airy 
on his snow-shoes, displaying altogether too much jolly 
protuberant rotundity. 
