. The result would be that
at the end of the year's time the trees would be in splendid condition
for firewood. The next operation was to have these trees all cut up in
lengths that could be easily handed, and then dragged home by the dogs
on their long sleds when there was abundance of snow on the ground.

Sam asked for the privilege of accompanying Mustagan. As the walk was
only a few miles, the old Indian was pleased to have the bright young
paleface go with him. As they were to go through the forest, where
there was not as yet the first vestige of a trail, they at once strapped
on their snowshoes. Mustagan's only weapon was his axe, while Sam
carried a small rifle. Very much sooner than they had anticipated they
found a suitable grove, the limits of which Mustagan at once proceeded
to mark off with his axe. These few marks thus made on some of the
trees were all that was necessary to secure the property.

They had seen but little game, and so all that Sam had fired at had been
a passing rabbit or ptarmigan. While on the home trip a beautiful covey
of partridges came flying by them and lit in a large balsam tree but a
few hundred feet in front of them.

"I wish I had brought a shotgun instead of this rifle," said Sam. "I
think we might have had more than one of those partridges."

"Suppose we try and get them all without any gun," said Mustagan, in a
tone that seemed to indicate perfect confidence in the experiment.

"If we get two of them before they fly I will be delighted," said Sam,
as he raised his gun and tried to get a shot at two in a line. However,
before he could fire Mustagan quickly stopped him and said:

"No, no, not that way. I will show you how. Step back and keep still,
and see how our fathers used to get them before the white man's gun came
into the country."

Sam naturally thought of the bow and arrows, but as Mustagan had
[brought] none along he wondered if the old man was going to quickly try
and make some. In the meantime Mustagan had quietly slipped back into a
grove of tall, slender young trees that grew up like great fish poles.
Here he quickly cut down one that could be easily handed by a strong
man. This he rapidly trimmed of all its branches, and then quietly
returned with it to the spot where Sam was watching the birds. Stooping
down to one of his moccasined feet, Mustagan untied the deerskin string
with which the moccasin had been securely fastened around his ankle to