136 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST. 



in short, we could not find the trail. We tried our 

 luck at another place, with no more success, nnd re- 

 turned home towards evening quite tired and out of 

 spirits. 



Our hosts to all appearance were very religious 

 people, and we had prayers every evening. This 

 evening we went early to bed, being all very tired, so 

 that, as yet, I hardly had time to take much notice of 

 the people we were to live with. We had to be 

 awakened for breakfast ; afterwards we strolled about 

 the house and fields to realize our situation. Saint was 

 a man of about forty, with a bright clear eye, and open 

 brow ; you were captivated by him at the very first 

 sight. His wife, an Irishwoman, treated us very civilly 

 and kindly, and proved to be an excellent manager. 

 They had no children; but there was another person, 

 in the house, who demands a more particular descrip- 

 tion. This was a duodecimo Irish shoemaker, or, as 

 he always insisted schoolmaster, for such, by his own 

 account, was his former occupation, though now he made 

 shoes. Saint had bought a quantity of leather, and the, 

 little Irishman was to work it up, receiving a certain 

 monthly sum. lie had red hair, was pock-marked, 

 stood about live feet, but was stout and strongly built, 

 and may have been about fifty years old. lie spoke 

 unwillingly about his age. wishing to pass for much 

 younger. Saint, who loved to joke with him, told us, 

 with a smile, that on Sunday we. should see him in his 

 best, when he would go to pay his court to a young 

 widow in the neighborhood. 



The, house was built of logs roughlv cut. It con- 

 sisted of two ordinary houses, under out; roof, with a 



