ding every thing
safe, he handed Joe a stool, and began to kindle a fire in a small
stone furnace. Joe sat down in silence, and looked about in
astonishment. And the scene was enough to excite the wonder of an
Irishman. The interior of the tree was full eight feet in diameter,
while the eye was lost above in undeveloped regions. Below, there was
a surface of smooth stones, which were comfortably carpeted over with
buffalo robes. At one side was a diminutive fireplace, or furnace,
constructed of three flat stones about three inches in thickness. The
largest was laid horizontally on the ground, and the others placed
upright on it, and attached to a clay chimney, that was by some means
confined to the interior side of the tree, and ran upward until it was
lost in the darkness. After gazing in amazement several minutes at
this strange contrivance, Joe exclaimed:

"Sneak, I don't understand this! Where does that smoke go to?"

"Go out doors and see if you can't see," replied Sneak, placing more
fuel on the blazing fire.

"Go out of the _hole_ you mean to say," said Joe, creeping out.

"You may call it jest what you like," said Sneak; "but I'll be
switched if many folks lives in _higher_ houses than I does."

"Well, I'll declare!" cried Joe.

"What ails you now?" asked Sneak, thrusting his head out of the
aperture, and regarding the surprise of Joe with much satisfaction.

"Why, I see the smoke pouring out of a hole in a _limb_ not much
bigger than my thigh!" cried Joe. This was true. Sneak had mounted up
in the tree before building his chimney, and finding a hollow bough
that communicated directly with the main trunk had cut through into
the cavity, and thus made a vent for the escape of the smoke.

"Come in now, and get something to eat," said Sneak. This was an
invitation that Joe was never known to decline. After casting another
admiring glance at the blue vapour that issued from the bough some
ninety feet from the ground, he passed through the cavity with
alacrity.

"Where are you?" cried Joe, upon entering and looking round in vain
for his host, who had vanished in a most inexplicable manner. Joe
stared in astonishment. The lighted lamp remained on a box, that was
designed for the breakfast-table, and on which there was in truth an
abundance of dried venison and smoking potatoes. But where was Sneak?

"Sneak, what's become of you?" continued Joe, eagerly listening for a
reply, and anxiously scanning the temp