nateral gifts in that
direction; and when we be roamin', we take but leetle with us, and our
camp be quickly made. No, no; we will have leetle to offer ye and the
lady, but ef, when the sun darkens back of the mountain there, ye will
honor an old man by yer comin', ye shall taste some venison that's
waited three days for the mouth and is tender, as it should be. And ef
the pool here will make its name good, ye shall have a trout cooked as
the hunter cooks it when the fire is hot and the wet moss plenty."

"We will certainly come," answered the man. "I came into the woods to
avoid men, not to meet them; but your face is honest and open as the
day, old man; and your head is white as is the head of wisdom. I shall
be glad to talk with you, and I doubt not your companion is as educated
as you are knowing."

"I've seed the comin' and goin' of seventy year sence I've been on the
arth," answered the trapper, stroking his head with the peculiar motion
of the aged when speaking of their age reflectively; "and much have I
seed of the passions of my kind, and many be the lessons that natur' has
larnt me; and ef the convarse of an old man who has lived leetle in the
clearin' would be pleasant to ye, yer comin' will be welcome.--Yis,
yis, boy, I seed it. Ye had better j'int yer rod, and I will start a
fire. Ye know the size ye want, and ye'll find 'em out there where the
bubbles make the letter S."

The two strangers retired toward their own camp, and our friends set
about their several tasks. Herbert proceeded to joint his rod and the
trapper to make a rude fire-place from the stones that lined the bank at
the water's edge.

The preparations for the forthcoming repast went forward rapidly. The
pool kept its reputation good and yielded abundantly to the solicitation
of Herbert's flies. The trout were large and in excellent condition and
were quickly made ready for the trapper's treatment. A large piece of
bark, peeled from a giant spruce standing near, and laid upon the
ground, served for the table,--against the dark bark of which the tin
dishes freshly scoured in the sand of the beach gleamed bright. The
venison and trout were cooked as only one accustomed to the woods can do
it, and the trapper contemplated the work of his skill with pleased
complacency. At each plate Herbert had placed a bunch of
checkerberries, and a small bouquet of small but exceedingly fragrant
flowers adorned the centre of the bark table.

At this mome