boys, however, could not help remarking the great
change in the temperature from midday. Then the sun was so hot that the
snow was melting at a marvellous rate; now everything was as hard and
firm as though it were still January. Through the portages and over the
frozen ice expanses they hurried, and some time before midnight they
reached a splendid camp already prepared for them by Paulette and
Mustagan. A great roaring fire looked very attractive to all, even to
the boys, as they had become quite accustomed to these wintry resting
places when the heavy day's work was done. Kettles were quickly filled
and a late supper was eaten, and then all lay down to sleep. Nothing
disturbed their rest except the distant mournful screeches of the wild
cats and some other wild animals, that were already, now that spring was
coming, like themselves, on the lookout for muskrats.

In the morning, after an early breakfast, the whole party set off for
the great pondlike morass that extended for miles. Numerous tracks of
wild animals were seen, and Mustagan pointed out to the boys not only
those of some wild cats, but also a number of those made by the great
feet of the wolverines, as these latter animals are as fond of muskrats
as are any other. When the edge of the shore was reached the boys were
surprised to see how rapidly the snow had disappeared from the surface
of this lakelike pond. On it they noticed a large number of what seemed
like bundles of straw, as though a farmer in a great loaded wagon had
driven over the surface and had here and there in many places pitched
out large forkfuls and left them to decay.

"It looks," said Sam, "as though some farmer hereabouts had been drawing
out the contents of his barnyard to enrich his fields."

"Just what I thought," said Alec.

"All those little hillocks of marsh hay and reeds are muskrat nests,"
explained Mr Ross. "They were made last summer on the little mossy
hillocks that everywhere abound in all of these great marshes. Being
then entirely surrounded by water, they are fairly safe from the
prowling wild animals that hunt them as their prey, as wolverines and
wild cats dislike the water. Then in the winter they are completely
covered by the deep snow, and so are as safe as beavers' kitchens. But
in the early spring, when the snow melts off the ice, they are at the
mercy of their foes. The ice remains solid for another month or so, and
on its hard surface these water