AN AUTUMN HOLIDAY 53 



party. He had a long, straight nose like a Fox, and. 

 deep-set eyes ; his face was as brown as his beard, and 

 his clothes were very much like some of those worn by 

 the scouts in the Wild West Show, liis shoes being 

 without seams, like moccasins. 



In spite of his strange face and dress there was noth- 

 ing forbidding about him, and he had a pleasant smile 

 as he stepped noiselessly up. 



"A woodsman, I know," said Mr. Blake to himself, 

 scarcely looking at the man's face, but judging by his 

 soft tread. 



The man stood still a second, looking as if he saw 

 some familiar object, but from a great distance, and 

 then exclaimed, " I want to know ! " 



The Doctor and Mr. Blake both started forward, and 

 the strange man grasped each by the hand. 



"Nez Long! Is it possible?" said the Doctor, clap- 

 ping him on the back Avith his free hand, while the 

 children stood looking on in amazement. Olive, how- 

 ever, knew who he was as soon as she heard the name, 

 and explained to the others, while the three men con- 

 tinued to talk eagerly. 



Nez was a man from northern jMaine whom her father 

 and uncle had known out West. He had been a trapper, 

 hunter, and cowboy, all by turns, and the head of a lum- 

 ber camp in Canada. The French Canadians called 

 him Nez Long, which means " long-nose " in their lan- 

 guage. He had once saved Mr. Blake's life, when he 

 was almost crushed by a falling tree and in danger of 

 being torn by a bear, but how he came in the hickory 

 wood she of course did not know. 



" Yes, I'm the charcoal-burner, I reckon, now, and 



