to cross on a‘ fallen tree; in this way I kept from getting wet and cold 
     
     and saved my strength. In one gloomy place a great owl was perched 
     
     on a limb; he looked down no us with his great round eyes in a stare 
     
     of wonderment as if to say “Who are you and what are you doing 
     
     here?” We were afraid he would pounce down on us, but he did not 
     
     move, except to turn his big round head from side to side so fast that 
     
     it looked like it was going round and round on a swivel. He did not 
     
     fly away. We did not stop long to look at him. Soon we came to the 
     
     head of the stream we were following; then we knew it was not the 
     
     one we thought it was. We had now to steer our course as best we 
     
     could. It was now near night, and getting dark in the woods. Bears 
     
     must have been near, though we did not see or hear them. We did 
     
     not cry or call; it seemed no use. We were beginning to get tired. 
     
     Johnny was feeling the effects of his wetting in the stream; and boys 
     
     or girls cannot go a long time without a piece of bread. There seemed 
     
     little prospect of either bread or bed for us that night. The bears had 
     
     a better chance for supper than we had. Johnny felt responsible for 
     
     me; he was four years older. He displayed heroism that deserved bet- 
     
     ter reward than he got for it. About sundown we saw a gleam of light 
     
     as from a clearing, and on investigating we found an open field; it 
     
     was the back end of a neighbour’s farm. At first we did not know 
     
     what clearing it was, but we were out of the woods. Had we missed 
     
     that we would have gone deeper into the forest. One time we nearly got 
     
     sparated from each other. We soon found our way home. Supper was 
     
     . on the table and as we were not home before supper they all knew 
     
     something had happened us. In another hour the woods would have 
     
     been resounding with horns, and bells, and the shouts of searchers. 
     
     We were well nigh exhausted. A warm supper, and mother’s caresses, 
     
     and a good night’s rest restored our spirits and energies. That taught 
     
     us a lesson we did not forget. We were more careful and did not go 
     
     into the woods for a long time afterwards, unless we had Older ones 
     
     with us. When I got big enough to carry a gun I went alone one day 
     
     to hunt partridge; there had been a very light snowfall; here and 
     
     there I could see the partridges’ tracks. In my eagerness I got turned 
     
     round and soon realized I'was lost; I was terribly afraid; for I knew 
     
     more about the danger than I did the other time. I was now a big boy. 
     
     I selected the tallest tree I could find and climbed up as far as I could, 
     
    
   
   
    
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