44 Ways of Wood Folk. 



dozen of them at play one night when a frightened 

 moose went crasliins^ through the underbrush and 

 plunged into the lake near by, and they did not seem 

 to mind it in the least. 



The spot referred to was the only camping ground 

 on the lake ; so Simmo, my Indian guide, assured 

 me; and he knew very well. I discovered afterward 

 that it was the only cleared bit of land for miles 

 around ; and this the rabbits knew very well. Right 

 in the midst of their best playground I pitched 

 my tent, while Simmo built his lean-to near by, in 

 another little opening. We were tired that night, 

 after a long day's paddle in the sunshine on the river. 

 The after-supper chat before the camp fire — gener- 

 ally the most delightful bit of the whole day, and 

 prolonged as far as possible — Avas short and sleepy; 

 and we left the lonely woods to the bats and owls 

 and creeping things, and turned in for the night. 



I was just asleep when I was startled by a loud 

 thump twice repeated, as if a man stamped on the 

 ground, or, as I thought at the time, just like the 

 thump a bear gives an old log with his paw, to see if 

 it is hollow and contains any insects. I was wide 

 awake in a moment, sitting up straight to listen. A 

 few minutes passed by in intense stillness; then, 

 tluunp ! timvip ! ilnimp ! just outside the tent among 

 the ferns. 



