o sweet sounds from infancy.

Not until the sun had ascended a considerable way on its course through
the sky, did Jasper think it necessary to lay down his paddle. By that
time the upper end of the lake had been reached, and the hunter had run
the canoe close to a ledge of flat rock and jumped ashore, saying that
it was time for breakfast.

"I had almost got to believe I was in paradise," said Heywood, as he
stepped ashore.

"I often think there's a good deal of the garden of Eden still left in
this world," replied Jasper, as he carried the kettle up to the level
part of the rock and began to kindle a fire, while the Indian, as usual,
hewed the wood. "If we could only make use of God's gifts instead of
abusin' them, I do believe we might be very happy all our days."

"See there, Jasper, is one of the birds I want so much to get hold of.
I want to make a drawing of him. Would you object to spend a shot on
such game."

Heywood pointed as he spoke to a grey bird, about the size of a
blackbird, which sat on a branch close above his head. This creature is
called by the fur-traders a whisky-John, and it is one of the most
impudent little birds in the world! Wherever you go throughout the
country, there you find whisky-Johns ready to receive and welcome you,
as if they were the owners of the soil. They are perfectly fearless;
they will come and sit on a branch within a yard of your hand, when you
are eating, and look at you in the most inquisitive manner. If they
could speak, they could not say more plainly, "What have you got
there?--give me some!" If you leave the mouth of your provision sack
open they are sure to jump into it. When you are done eating they will
scarcely let you six yards away before they make a dash at the crumbs;
and if you throw sticks or stones at them, they will hop out of the way,
but they will not take to flight!

"It would be a pity to waste powder on them critters," said Jasper, "but
I'll catch one for you."

As he said this he took a few crumbs of broken meat from the bottom of
the provision sack and spread them on his right hand; then he lay down
under a bush, covered his face with a few leaves, and thrust out his
hand. Heywood and the Indian retired a few paces and stood still to
await the result.

In a few seconds a whisky-John came flying towards the open hand, and
alighted on a branch within a yard of it. Here he shook his feathers
and looked very bold, but suspicious, fo