A hearty laugh from the boys was the only reply to the captain’s sarcastic remark.  They were in great spirits, and the tramp through the woods filled them with joy.  It was merely a winter-road they followed, used by farmers for bringing out their logs and fire-wood.  It was very crooked, too, and rough, but in a short time the deep snow would cover up the latter defect, and the jingle of bells would echo among the trees.  Now it was the talk and laughter of the boys which alone disturbed the peaceful silence.

After having walked a little over half an hour, they came to a place, somewhat open, and here they found club-moss in abundance lining the ground.  To their left, the rippling of the brook could be heard flowing on its way to the river.  Ahead of them stood the thick forest of pine, fir, and spruce.  It was a cool November day, and when the boys started from home their warm mittens had felt good.  But the brisk tramp had set their blood in rapid circulation, and with bare hands they now gathered the moss and stuffed it into bags which they had brought with them.  They worked with a hearty good-will, vying with one another, each striving to have his bag full first.

Their task was almost finished, when Gyp’s savage barking up among the thick trees arrested their attention.

“Let’s go and see what he’s got,” Rod suggested.

“Oh, it’s only a squirrel he’s treed,” the captain contemptuously replied, straightening himself up for an instant from his bent position.  “It’s all that critter’s good fer.  If he’d something big it’d be worth while.”

For a few moments longer the boys worked in silence.  But they could not keep their attention away from Gyp, whose barks were now becoming more savage and insistent than ever.  That he was in a great state of excitement was quite evident.  Even the captain was at last forced to take notice.

“It does seem that he has something more’n a squirrel,” he remarked.  “Maybe it’s a coon he’s got up a tree.  They’re thick over there along that bank.  Guess we might as well go and see what’s up, anyway.”

At this the boys were delighted.  They wanted to explore the deep recesses of that forest, and now that there was some excitement there made the longing all the greater.  They followed in Indian fashion after the captain, who strode rapidly forward, with his rifle in his right hand.

Gyp’s barking sounded louder the nearer they approached.  The boys as well as the captain strained their eyes ahead, anxious to find out what was the matter with the dog.  For awhile they could see nothing through the net-work of trees and branches.  But as they came close to the high steep bank overhanging the brook, they peered forward and caught their first glimpse of the excited dog.  In front of him was a huge fallen spruce tree, with its roots projecting outward, like spokes in a great wheel.  This tree had been lying there for years, and across it had fallen numerous small saplings and dead branches, until from a distance it assumed the appearance of a native African hut.