336 Tue Aroostook Woops. 
« 

Laying out the contents of the canoe upon the shore of the 
lake, at our old camp ground, and sizing it up, it does not 
look so very formidable after all, and speaking of this, the 
Commodore remarks : — 
*¢ We must have eaten something while on the trip.” 
And as if it was highly essential that the larder be replen- 
ished and added to immediately, looks behind him, takes his 
rifle, and commences popping at a full covey of partridges 
that he saw just walking out to view, and toward the old 
ashes again. Now at this time, just and quite naturally, too, 
the crew was sitting down upon the shore, back too, looking 
dreamily from under the circling rings of the smoke from the 
brierwood, away across the lake, upon the sunny hills, when, 
at the sudden crack of the rifle, he jumps, quicker than a 
Madawaska Frenchman, and exclaims : — 
coAccident! 7’ 
‘* Oh, no-o-o! incident.” 
But the fluttering bird upon the ground explains; and soon 
he joins in. And now a merry fusilade is going on, and 
many birds from the large flock are flying up in the ever- 
greens for safety, as they think, but only those that make the 
second or third long flight, escape, and live to again dust 
themselves in the ashes of the river-drivers old camp ground. 
Gathering together the birds, we each lift a pack from the 
canoe load upon our shoulders, and go forward for the falls. 
The canoe and all its burden being now over the carry, and 
lying upon the shore before us, we sit down for a moment to 
rest (being so ordered, so to do, peremptorily,) and to watch 
the Commodore (under the circumstances,) with a pleased 
admiration, as he so handily gets up the luncheon. 
To-day, as the wind is blowing high and low, whirling and 
