or opened and
Dannie entered with an armload of spiles, and the rat-skinning was all
over. So Jimmy went on unwinding lines, and sharpening hooks, and
talking fish; while Dannie and Mary cleaned the spiles, and figured on
how many new elders must be cut and prepared for more on the morrow;
and planned the sugar making.

When it was bedtime, and Dannie had gone an Jimmy and Mary closed their
cabin for the night, Mary stepped to the window that looked on Dannie's
home to see if his light was burning. It was, and clear in its rays
stood Dannie, stripping yard after yard of fine line through his
fingers, and carefully examining it. Jimmy came and stood beside her as
she wondered.

"Why, the domn son of the Rainbow," he cried, "if he ain't testing his
fish lines!"

The next day Mary Malone was rejoicing when the men returned from
trapping, and gathering and cleaning the sugar-water troughs. There had
been a robin at the well.

"Kape your eye on, Mary" advised Jimmy. "If she ain't watched close
from this time on, she'll be settin' hins in snowdrifts, and pouring
biling water on the daffodils to sprout them."

On the first of March, five killdeers flew over in a flock, and a half
hour later one straggler crying piteously followed in their wake.

"Oh, the mane things!" almost sobbed Mary. "Why don't they wait for it?"

She stood by a big kettle of boiling syrup at the sugar camp, almost
helpless in Jimmy's boots and Dannie's great coat. Jimmy cut and
carried wood, and Dannie hauled sap. All the woods were stirred by the
smell of the curling smoke and the odor of the boiling sap, fine as the
fragrance of flowers. Bright-eyed deer mice peeped at her from under
old logs, the chickadees, nuthatches, and jays started an investigating
committee to learn if anything interesting to them was occurring. One
gayly-dressed little sapsucker hammered a tree near by and scolded
vigorously.

"Right you are!" said Mary. "It's a pity you're not big enough to drive
us from the woods, for into one kittle goes enough sap to last you a
lifetime."

The squirrels were sure it was an intrusion, and raced among the
branches overhead, barking loud defiance. At night the three rode home
on the sled, with the syrup jugs beside them, and Mary's apron was
filled with big green rolls of pungent woolly-dog moss.

Jimmy built the fires, Dannie fed the stock, and Mary cooked the
supper. When it was over, while the men warmed chilled feet and fingers