"We shall have neither huckleberries nor strawberries this summer," she said, mournfully; "and the pretty roses and bushes will be scorched, and the ground black and dreary." "The fire passes so rapidly over that it does not destroy many of the forest trees, only the dead ones are destroyed; and that, you know, leaves more space for the living ones to grow and thrive in," said Hector.

"I have seen, the year after a fire has run in the bush, a new and fresh set of plants spring up, and even some that looked withered recover; the earth is renewed and manured by the ashes; and it is not so great a misfortune as it at first appears." "But how black and dismal the burnt pine-woods look for years!" said Louis; "I do not think there is a more melancholy sight in life than one of those burnt pine-woods.

There it stands, year after year, the black, branchless trees pointing up to the blue sky, as if crying for vengeance against those that kindled the fires." "They do, indeed, look ugly," said Catharine; "yet the girdled ones look very nearly as ill." _[FN: The girdled pines are killed by barking them round, to facilitate the clearing.]_ At the end of two days the fires had ceased to rage, though the dim smoke-wreaths to the westward showed where the work of destruction was still going on.
As there was no appearance of any Indians on the lake, nor yet at the point (Andersen's Point, as it is now called), on the other side, they concluded the fires had possibly originated by accident,--some casual hunter or trapper having left his camp-fire unextinguished; but as they were not very likely to come across the scene of the conflagration, they decided on returning back to their old home without delay; and it was with some feeling of anxiety that they hastened to see what evil had befallen their shanty.
"The shanty is burned!" was the simultaneous exclamation of both Louis and Hector, as they reached the rising ground that should have commanded a view of its roof.

"It is well for us that we secured our things in the root-house," said Hector.
"Well, if that is safe, who cares?
we can soon build up a new house, larger and better than the old one," said Louis.

"The chief of our fence is gone, too, I see; but that we can renew at our leisure; no hurry, if we get it done a month hence, say I.Come, _ma belle_, do not look so sorrowful.