144 



FOREST LIFE IN ACADIE. 



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him for the loan of liis sleigh and trusty yoke of oxon, 

 and drew large sup})lie.s of fiiie mealy potatoes from his 

 cellar ; gr<?at luxuries they are, too, and valuable addi- 

 tions to the camp fare, though they often liave to l)e 

 omitted, when the distance of tlie hunting country from 

 the settler's house precludes any extra weight in the 

 apportioned loads. 



Noel Bonus, the owner of the camp, was at home, just 

 returned from his hunting, for an early dinner, and to 

 him we applied direct to act as our landlord and hunter. 

 I never saw a dirtier or more starved-looking Indian ; 

 selfishness and cunning were plainly stamped on his 

 tawny face, which was topped by the shaggiest mass of 

 long black hair conceivable ; he seemed irresolute for 

 some moments as to whether he should admit us, and 

 take the dollar per diem and his share of the meat, or 

 whether he should continue to hunt on his own account, 

 and leave us to shift for ourselves. 



We did not urge the point, for we had a first-rate 

 hunter, John Williams, with us, and though he did not 

 know tlie country, he woidd soon master that difficulty ; 

 and, as to a camp, we had all the recpiisite appliances for 

 quickly setting up on our own ;t 'ount. This became 

 ji'raduallv evident to JNlaster Noel, who at last motioned 

 us to take off our loads and come in — a i)roceeding 

 wliich we politely declined doing until a thorough reno- 

 vation and cleansing had taken place, and the dirty 

 bedding of dried shrivelled fir-boughs, strewed with 

 bones and bits of hide and hoof, had been swept out 

 and ri^placed l)y fresh. It was a capital camp, strongly 

 built, and (piite rain-proof, standing on a well-tind)i'red 

 hard-wood hill, the stems of the smaller trees afi'ording 



