ROBERT’S CLEARING. 8]

hole in that part of the heap, with the bright ends
of the twigs, which had been burned off all around,
pointing in towards the centre.

By this time, Robert was prepared to put fire
to his logs, and he soon got them well on fire.
He had pushed them in as far under the heap as
he could, and the wind carried the heat and
flame through the very heart of it. In a few
minutes, large volumes of white smoke came pour-
ing up, out of the top of the pile, in the most beau-
tiful manner. Flashes of flame soon began to
break out in the midst of this smoke, and in a
short time they all had to stand back from the.
heat produced by the high, crackling flames.
After some time, they all went up upon a bank
near by, under some trees, and sat down upon a
small log, to watch the progress of the fire.