the sunlighted had not penetrated here yet. Everywhere, as far as we could see were bright tin buckets on the trunks of the maples, most of which were half full, but the water was frozen. Presently thru the trees, we could see clouds of white arising from someplace, which we concluded to be the camp. Thither we went jumping small streams, climbing fences and carefully examining each bucket in our course. We soon came to the camp, which a first sight seemed merely a small dark building from the top of which dense clouds of white steam and smoke poured. Then I began to see things more clearly; in front of the shanty was a lot of boards set up in wigwam fashion; at the right was a neat pile of wood, which leaned against a tall maple, that spread his branches over all; at the other side, on an elevation was the sap-collector and a huge sheet-iron tank, which I later found to be the place for the collected sap; from it a pipe led into the shanty.
     As we came up, a young man came out, whom we took for Tom’s brother. He seemed to be a nice fellow and greeted us cordially; Tom, he said in answer to our question was up at the barn but would be down in a short time, so in response to his invitation we went inside the building,