Henry Ware."

He saw the ugly man start a little, and then smile in a way that made
his disfigured lip more hideous than ever.

"I've heard the names," said the stranger. "The woods are immense, but
there are not many of us, and those of marked qualities soon become
known. It seems to me that I've heard you were at Wyoming and the
Chemung."

"Yes," said Henry, "we were at both places. But since we're going to
have a fire, it's best that we have it as soon as possible."

They fell to work with flint and steel on the dry bark. The two men,
Fowler and Perley, had said nothing.

"Not especially bright," said Holdsworth to Henry in a whisper, as he
nodded toward them, "but excellent foresters and very useful in the work
that I have to do."

"You can't always tell a man by his looks," replied Henry in the same
tone.

It was not a difficult matter to light the fire. They scraped off the
inside of the bark until they accumulated a little heap of tinder. It
was ignited with a few sparks of the flint and steel, and then the bark
too caught fire. After that they had nothing to do but feed the flames
which grew and grew, casting a luminous red glare in every corner of the
old Council House. Then it was so strong that it readily burned the wet
bark from the dismantled lodges near by.

The cold rain still came down steadily and the night, thick and dark,
had settled over the forest. Henry and his comrades were bound to
confess that the fire was a vivid core of cheer and comfort. It thrust
out a grateful heat, the high flames danced, and the coals, red and
yellow, fell into a great glowing heap. Holdsworth, Fowler and Perley
took off nearly all their clothing, dried their bodies, and then their
wet garments. Holdsworth ceased to shiver, and while Fowler and Perley
still fed the fire, the five resumed their places against the wall,
their rifles again lying across their knees, a forest precaution so
customary that no one could take exception to it. Apparently they
dozed, but they were nevertheless wide awake. Holdsworth and his men
reclothed themselves in their dry raiment, and when they finished the
task, Henry said:

"We've three kinds of dried meat, venison, bear and buffalo, and you can
take your choice, one kind, two kinds, or all kinds."

"I thank you, sir," said Holdsworth, "but we also carry a plentiful
supply of provisions in our knapsacks, and we have partaken freely of
them. We are now dry, and there is nothing