"We want to teach the boy how to shoot an' be of some use to himself, not to slaughter," said Ross.

Then the three remained there, a long time, and noiseless.
Henry was learning early one of the first great lessons of the forest, which is silence.

But he knew that he could have learned this lesson alone.

He already felt himself superior in some ways to Ross and Sol, but he liked them too well to tell them so, or to affect even equality in the lore of the wilderness.
The sun went down behind the Western forest, and the night came on, heavy and dark.

A light wind began to moan among the trees.