e well-known to Roland, and as they
were setting off he offered Rob the loan of his gun, with some shot and
powder, he having had one left by a settler, who had not come back for
it. With a good supply of food on their shoulders, and axes in their
belts, they went on merrily.

STORY THREE, CHAPTER 4.

Alone a person feels somewhat sad walking on hour after hour through the
dark forest, but that is not the case when there are several. The young
travellers stopped to dine near a stream, and watched the squirrels
busily employed in gathering in their winter stores of butter, hickory,
and other nuts.

At night they camped out. Cutting a ridge pole, they fastened it
between two trees; and then, on the side next the wind, leaned against
it other poles with pieces of bark and branches. In front of this rude
hut they made up a large fire, and cut a store of wood to last them all
night. Their beds were spruce fir tops, and their coverlids their
buffalo robes which they carried strapped on their backs.

On the second day, about noon, as they were walking along in Indian
file, one after the other, Rob leading, a fine deer slowly trotted
across his path. He had time to unsling his gun, which he carried at
his back, and to fire before the animal was out of sight. He hit it,
but the deer bounded on. He and his companions followed in chase, Rob
reloading as he ran. The blood on the fallen leaves showed that the
deer was ahead. On they went, mile after mile; every moment they
thought that they would come up with it. At last more blood was seen on
the leaves, and in an open glade there stood the stag. Once more, as
the young hunters drew near, he was starting off, when Rob fired, and he
fell. Here was a fine supply of venison for the rest of their journey.
It was a pity that they could not carry the skin. They cut up the
animal, and loaded themselves with as much of the best part of the meat
as they could carry. This they secured by thongs cut from the skin.
The other joints they hung up by the thongs to a tree, while the carcase
remained on the ground.

While they were so employed, some flakes of snow began to fall. At
first they did not think much of this. The flakes were thin, and did
not cover the marks on the grass. "Come, boys, we must hurry on, or we
shall not easily find the blaze again," observed Rob.

They walked as fast as they could with their fresh loads. As there was
no wind, they did not comp