We were not very old even then, I should remark: but I was feeling
myself a man, and was ready to do all sorts of manly things.

"By-the-by," observed Lily, "we have become intimate with a family among
the settlers who arrived last fall,--Mr and Mrs Claxton, and Dora
their daughter, a very nice girl of my age, and a great friend of mine.
Dora has a brother called Reuben, and I think you will like him.
Although he is younger than you are, he seems to be a fine fellow, and
has your taste for natural history and sporting."

"I shall be very glad to meet with him; but I have not time to look him
up now, as I must get back to the hut. But you may tell him about me;
and say that, if he will come over, I shall be happy to take him out
into the forest, where we can have a hunt together."

Although I had said that I must go immediately, I lingered for some time
with Lily, for I never was in a hurry to leave her. It was consequently
quite dark before I got half-way to the hut; still, I knew the path--
indeed, there was only one. The snow, however, thickly covered the
ground, and I had to guide myself by feeling the scores on the trunks of
the trees. Had every tree been thus marked, there would have been no
great difficulty; but, of course, they were scored only at intervals,
and sometimes I was uncertain whether I had not somehow got out of the
direct line. I knew that, did I once go wrong, it would be a hard
matter, if not impossible, to find my way back again. There might be
wolves prowling about, too; or I might by chance find myself in the
grasp of a hungry bear, bent on a visit to the hog-pens in the
settlement. Intending to return early, I had left without my gun--an
act of folly I resolved not to repeat. Should I lose myself, I should
have no means of making a signal, and I might very possibly be frozen to
death before the morning.

I had gone some distance without finding a score, and I began to fear
that I really had lost myself; but it would not do to stand still, so I
walked on; and greatly to my relief, as I touched tree after tree, I at
length felt a scored one, and knew that I was in the right direction.
Presently a light appeared ahead. I ran towards it, shouting at the top
of my voice. A welcome halloo came from Mike, who was standing, with a
pine torch in his hand, at the door of the hut.

Two days after this, a tall lad, of fair complexion, made his appearance
at the hut, gun in hand, and introduce