d not mention the matter of
trout. We ate our luncheons with good appetites, and William brought
our two stone bottles of spruce beer from the deep place in the brook
where he had left them to cool. Then we sat awhile longer in peace and
quietness on the green banks.

As for William, he looked more boyish than ever, and kept a more remote
and juvenile sort of silence. Once I wondered how he had come to be so
curiously wrinkled, forgetting, absent-mindedly, to recognize the
effects of time. He did not expect any one else to keep up a vain show
of conversation, and so I was silent as well as he. I glanced at him
now and then, but I watched the leaves tossing against the sky and the
red cattle moving in the pasture. "I don't know's we need head for
home. It's early yet," he said at last, and I was as startled as if
one of the gray firs had spoken.

"I guess I 'll go up-along and ask after Thankful Hight's folks," he
continued. "Mother 'd like to get word;" and I nodded a pleased assent.

IV.

William led the way across the pasture, and I followed with a deep
sense of pleased anticipation. I do not believe that my companion had
expected me to make any objection, but I knew that he was gratified by
the easy way that his plans for the day were being seconded. He gave a
look at the sky to see if there were any portents, but the sky was
frankly blue; even the doubtful morning haze had disappeared.

We went northward along a rough, clayey road, across a bare-looking,
sunburnt country full of tiresome long slopes where the sun was hot and
bright, and I could not help observing the forlorn look of the farms.
There was a great deal of pasture, but it looked deserted, and I
wondered afresh why the people did not raise more sheep when that
seemed the only possible use to make of their land. I said so to Mr.
Blackett, who gave me a look of pleased surprise.

"That's what She always maintains," he said eagerly. "She 's right
about it, too; well, you 'll see!" I was glad to find myself approved,
but I had not the least idea whom he meant, and waited until he felt
like speaking again.

A few minutes later we drove down a steep hill and entered a large
tract of dark spruce woods. It was delightful to be sheltered from the
afternoon sun, and when we had gone some distance in the shade, to my
great pleasure William turned the horse's head toward some bars, which
he let down, and I drove through into one of those na