ALGONQUIN PARK HEADQUARTERS AT CACHE LAKE 



the little settlement three miles away 

 being left to remind us of civilization. 

 Of the woods to the north and east 

 little was known, except that they ex- 

 tended immense distances. We did not 

 even know our own island, and, in fact, 

 we never undertook to explore it, so 

 thick was the timber and underbrush. 

 That night the least rustle or snap of 

 a twig started our imaginations to 

 work. The cries of the loons, like those 

 of a frightened child, were blood- 

 curdling at first hearing and it was hard 

 to overcome the impression that numer- 

 ous murders were being committed 

 all around us. Yet it was not long be- 

 fore we began to feel the friendliness 

 of the wilderness at night, a feeling of 

 security quite unexpected, the meaning 

 of which can be realized only by those 

 who have spent a considerable time in 

 the forest. 



A day or two of "putting things to 

 rights" and then came a long period of 

 genuine laziness, of days that were 

 ruled by no routine but eating and 

 sleeping. For days we saw no human 

 being — we were satisfied with the tame 

 squirrels and the partridges that fed 



upon our huckleberry patch. Much of 

 our time we spent upon the water, of 

 course. We soon became expert at 

 handling our canoe, the other half of 

 the family managing the bow paddle 

 with quickness and dexterity. Only 

 those who have tried it know the pleas- 

 ures of canoeing in the sparkling lakes 

 of the north. We soon knew the lake 

 thoroughly, with all its snags and rocks 

 — those enemies of the light canoe. The 

 pleasures of discovery were also ours. 

 We had heard bare mention of a lake 

 somewhere to the east of us, but no- 

 body seemed able to tell us anything 

 definite about it. One day we found 

 the outlet of a small stream clogged 

 with dead trees and old logs. By dint 

 of an hour's push and pull we worked 

 the canoe through a half-mile of shal- 

 low water and came quite unexpectedly 

 upon a lake almost as large as our own. 

 It was enclosed on all sides by well- 

 wooded banks, and there was no sign of 

 habitation. The beauty of its shores 

 persuaded us to paddle around it. The 

 sense of solitude pervading the spot 

 was very impressive. 



Our canoe trips were sometimes va- 



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