THE ADIRONDACKS 79 
gently headed around, and silently we glided back 
into the clasp of that strange orbit. Slight sounds 
were heard as before, but nothing that indicated the 
presence of the game we were waiting for; and we 
reached the point of departure as innocent of veni- 
son as we had set out. 
After an hour’s delay, and near midnight, we 
pushed out again. My vigilance and susceptibility 
were rather sharpened than dulled by the waiting; 
and the features of the night had also deepened and 
intensified. Night was at its meridian. The sky 
had that soft luminousness which may often be ob- 
served near midnight at this season, and the “large 
few stars’”” beamed mildly down. We floated out 
into that spectral shadow-land and moved slowly on — 
as before. The silence was most impressive. Now 
and then the faint yeap of some traveling bird 
would come from the air overhead, or the wings of 
a bat whisp quickly by, or an owl hoot off in the 
mountains, giving to the silence and loneliness a 
tongue. At short intervals some noise in-shore 
would startle me, and cause me to turn inquiringly 
to the silent figure in the stern. 
The end of the lake was reached, and we turned 
back. The novelty and the excitement began to 
flag; tired nature began to assert her claims; the 
movement was soothing, and the gunner slumbered 
fitfully at his post. Presently something aroused 
me. ‘“There’s a deer,” whispered the guide. The 
gun heard, and fairly jumped in my hand. Listen- 
ing, there came the cracking of a limb, followed by 
