Hector whistling." And soon they heard the heavy stroke of his axe ringing
among the trees, for he had found the blue-beech, and was cutting it to
leave on the path, that he might take it home on their return; he had also
marked some hiccory of a nice size for his axe handles, to bring home
at some future time.

The children had walked several miles, and were not sorry to sit down and
rest till Hector joined them. He was well pleased with his success, and
declared he felt no fatigue. "As soon as we reach the old Indian clearing,
we shall find strawberries," he said, "and a fresh cold spring, and then we
will have our dinners."

"Come, Hector,--come, Louis," said Catharine, jumping up, "I long to be
gathering the strawberries; and see, my flowers are faded, so I will throw
them away, and the basket shall be filled with fresh fruit instead, and we
must not forget petite Marie and sick Louise, or dear Mathilde. Ah, how I
wish she were here at this minute! But here is the opening to the Beaver
Meadow."

And the sunlight was seen streaming through the opening trees as they
approached the cleared space, which some called the "Indian clearing," but
is now more generally known as the little Beaver Meadow. It was a pleasant
spot, green, and surrounded with light bowery trees and flowering shrubs,
of a different growth from those that belong to the dense forest. Here the
children found, on the hilly ground above, fine ripe strawberries, the
earliest they had seen that year, and soon all weariness was forgotten
while pursuing the delightful occupation of gathering the tempting fruit;
and when they had refreshed themselves, and filled the basket with leaves
and fruit, they slaked their thirst from the stream, which wound its way
among the bushes. Catharine neglected not to reach down flowery bunches of