on the trees. "Push
on as fast as you can, or the snow may be down on you, and you'll not be
able to get on without snow-shoes. It wouldn't be pleasant to you to be
snowed up here in the woods."

"No, indeed, master," said Rob; "especially if we were to have such
visitors as came to us last night."

The old hunter laughed when Rob told him of the wolves.

"They won't hurt anybody who shows a bold front, for they are great
cowards," said the old man. "But woe betide the boy who is caught out
alone at night, if any of the savage beasts fall in with him. Still,
though I've hunted through these parts more than thirty years, I've
heard of very few people who ever got any harm from them."

Rob thanked the old man, who said that his name was Danby Marks.

They all walked on together for some time, chatting pleasantly. The
snow began to fall very thickly again. Rob thought that old Marks was
going to leave them.

"I see that you are young travellers, and I may help you a bit may be,"
said the old man; "your way shall be mine."

He told them much about the birds and beasts and fish of those parts.
"The lakes and rivers are full of fish; the salmon are very fine. Then
there are sturgeon, and a fish called maskinonge, not known in England;
and pike, and pickrel, and white-fish, and trout, and herrings, very
like those in salt water; and bass, and sun-fish, and perch, and many
others. Anybody may catch them who can. Many are killed with a spear,
and others caught with nets of all sorts. Indians catch the white-fish
with a scoop-net, like a landing-net, with a long handle. They stand up
in their canoes, amid the rapids, and as they see the fish in some more
quiet hollow, they, quick as lightning, slip in their nets and scoop him
up. They carry torches in their canoes at night, and when the fish swim
near, drawn by the light, they dart down their barbed spears and seldom
fail to spike.

"This is a rich country, indeed," continued old Marks. "Just think of
the numbers of deer, the moose, with a heavy head, bigger than the
largest horse; and the caribou, rather smaller, but more fleet; and then
there's the elk, and other smaller deer. Many and many's the night I've
camped out on the snow, with my feet to a blazing fire, wrapped up in a
buffalo robe, going after them critters. Then we've black bears, but
they don't often attack men, though they are mortal fond of honey, and
sheep, or pigs, or poultry, when they