er
progress on their journey. Pierre busied himself in erecting a rude
frame upon which he stretched the moose skin to dry. He also prepared
the antlers and built a sort of hut, of saplings and bark, where he
could store his trophies till his return trip.

"For I shall surely come back this same way. It's good hunting ground
and moose feed in herds. Small herds, course, but two, three make a
fellow rich. Eh?"

Adrian said nothing. He occupied himself in what Pierre considered a
silly fashion, sketching, studying "effects," and carefully cutting
big pieces of the birch-bark that he meant to use for "canvas." To
keep this flat during his travels was a rather difficult problem, but
finally solved by cutting two slabs of cedar wood and placing the
sheets of bark between these.

Whereupon, Pierre laughed and assured the weary chopper that he had
had his trouble for his pains.

"What for you want to carry big lumber that way? Roll your bark.
That's all right. When you want to use it put it in water. Easy.
Queer how little you know about things."

"All right. I was silly, sure enough. But thanks for your teaching.
Maybe, if you were in my city I might show you a thing or two."

Both lads were glad, however, when night came, and having cooked
themselves a good supper and replenished their fire, they slept as
only such healthy lads can sleep; to wake at sunrise, ready for fresh
adventures, and with the tragedy of the previous day partly forgotten
even by Adrian. Then, after a hearty breakfast, they resumed their
trip.

Nothing eventful occurred for some time after. No more moose appeared,
and beyond winging a duck or two and fishing now and then, Pierre kept
his hunting instincts down. In fact, he was just then too lazy to
exert himself. He felt that he had labored beyond all reason during
the past summer and needed a rest. Besides, were not his wages
steadily going on? If Adrian was silly enough to paint and paint and
paint--all day, this old tree and that mossy stump, he was not
responsible for another man's stupidity. Not he. The food was still
holding out, so let things take their course.

Suddenly, however, Adrian realized that they were wasting time. He
had made sketches on everything and anything he could find and had
accumulated enough birch-bark to swamp the canoe, should they strike
rough water; and far more than was comfortable for him to carry over
any portage. So one morning he announced his intention of