340 ADVENTURE OF A FOX. 



the ever welcome pipe, when something was 

 seen swimming a little ahead, which was taken 

 for a young fawn. As we nearly touched it in 

 passing, the bowman, almost without looking, 

 stretched out his hand to grasp it ; but drew it 

 in again as quick as lightning, and springing up 

 for the boat-hook, called out, " D — n it, it has 

 bit me ! it's a fox." I would not allow it to be 

 fired at ; and Reynard gained the bank, and skip- 

 ped about as if enjoying the trick he had played. 

 Still widening, the river rolled on without 

 obstruction, being here large enough to remind 

 me of the M c Kenzie. Heavy and long borders 

 of thick ice, with a great deal of snow, were on 

 the sides of the sloping banks, full ten feet 

 above the present level. As we advanced still 

 most provokingly to the eastward, a large river, 

 nearly as broad as that which we were descend- 

 ing, came through a low country to the right, 

 and after many windings effected a junction 

 round a little sandy bluff. It was named after 

 Rear-Admiral M c Kinley, who has uniformly 

 evinced a great interest in the recent voyages 

 of discovery. The land then became more un- 

 even, and soon changed into hills, partly com- 

 posed of bare rocks, with loose masses on them. 

 On one, indeed, something higher than the rest, 

 we thought for a long time there was a man ; 

 but afterwards the general opinion determined 



