chreminiscencesIrepeopledthewoodsandlulledmyselfasleep.
AtthisseasonIseldomhadavisitor.Whenthesnowlaydeepestnowandererventurednearmyhouseforaweekorfortnightatatime,butthereIlivedassnugasameadowmouse,orascattleandpoultrywhicharesaidtohavesurvivedforalongtimeburiedindrifts,evenwithoutfoodorlikethatearlysettler’sfamilyinthetownofSutton,inthisstate,whosecottagewascompletelycoveredbythegreatsnowof1717whenhewasabsent,andanIndianfounditonlybytheholewhichthechimney’sbreathmadeinthedrift,andsorelievedthefamily.ButnofriendlyIndianconcernedhimselfaboutmenorneededhe,forthemasterofthehousewasathome.TheGreatSnow!Howcheerfulitistohearof!Whenthefarmerscouldnotgettothewoodsandswampswiththeirteams,andwereobligedtocutdowntheshadetreesbeforetheirhouses,andwhenthecrustwasharder,cutoffthetreesintheswamps,tenfeetfromtheground,asitappearedthenextspring.
Inthedeepestsnows,thepathwhichIusedfromthehighwaytomyhouse,abouthalfamilelong,mighthavebeenrepresentedbyameanderingdottedline,withwideintervalsbetweenthedots.ForaweekofevenweatherItookexactlythesamenumberofsteps,andofthesamelength,comingandgoing,steppingdeliberatelyandwiththeprecisionofapairofdividersinmyowndeeptracks,—tosuchroutinethewinterreducesus,—yetoftentheywerefilledwithheaven’sownblue.Butnoweatherinterferedfatallywithmywalks,orrathermygoingabroad,forIfrequentlytrampedeightortenmilesthroughthedeepestsnowtokeepanappointmentwithabeech-tree,orayellow-birch,oranoldacquaintanceamongthepineswhentheiceandsnowcausingtheirlimbstodroop,andsosharpeningtheirtops,hadchangedthepinesintofir-treeswadingtothetopsofthehighesthillswhenthesnowwasnearlytwofeetdeeponalevel,andshakingdownanothersnow-stormonmyheadateverysteporsometimescreepingandflounderingthitheronmyhandsandknees,whenthehuntershadgoneintowinterquarters.OneafternoonIamusedmyselfbywatchingabarredowl(Strixnebulosa)sittingononeofthelowerdeadlimbsofawhite-pine,closetothetrunk,inbroaddaylight,Istandingwithinarodofhim.HecouldhearmewhenImovedandcronchedthesnowwithmyfeet,butcouldnotplainlyseeme.WhenImademostnoisehewouldstretchouthisneck,anderecthisneckfeathers,andopenhiseyeswidebuttheirlidssoonfellagain,andhebegantonod