Besides, we must pull out to-morrow."

Agatha said she was not excessively tired. She liked his matter-of-fact
manner and thought he had struck the right note.

"Have you got the tent I recommended?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. "It's in the small box."

"Then as the poles are cut, the boys will soon put it up. In the
meantime, supper's ready."

He took her across the narrow open space, and when near the fire she
stopped and looked about. It was after ten o'clock, but a pale-green
glow shone above the pines, whose ragged tops cut against it in a black
saw-edge. Below, a river brawled among dark rocks, catching a reflection
here and there, and then plunging into shadow. It was not dark; she
could see the brush and the wild-berry vines that crawled between the
trunks. Then she turned towards the fire that burned at the foot of a
ledge. Two or three figures moved about the rocks behind it; sometimes
picked out with hard distinctness so that she could see their brown
faces and travel-stained overalls, and sometimes fading into gloom.

The smoke went nearly straight up and then spread slowly across the
river; the flames leaped among the snapping branches and sank. Strong
lights and puzzling shadows played about the camp; there was an aromatic
smell, and the air was keen and bracing. The turmoil of the river rather
emphasized than disturbed the quietness. It was different from the noisy
city where the big arc-lights burned above the hurrying crowds, but
Agatha did not find it strange. She felt as if she were revisiting a
scene she had known before, and thought this was an inheritance from her
father, who had loved the wilds. But perhaps she might go further back;
it was, relatively, not long since all Ontario was a wilderness, and she
sprang from pioneering stock.

Then Thirlwell indicated a folding chair and she sat down beside two
logs, rolled close together to make a cooking hearth. A kettle and two
frying-pans stood on the logs, supported by both, and the space between
was filled with glowing embers, about which flickered little blue and
orange flames. Thirlwell gave her a plate and a tin mug, and she found
the fresh trout and hot bannocks appetizing. Then she liked the acid
wild-berries he brought on a bark tray, and the strong, smoke-flavored
tea. She smiled as she remembered that in Toronto she had been
fastidious about her meals and sometimes could not eat food that was
roughly-served.

When supper was over Th