260 WILD BPOKTS IN THE SOUTH. 



the simplest cooking as the best. The fish was soon dis- 

 posed of, and Mike handed over his venison steak, hot 

 and rare, just cooked enough to make it tender. 



"Ah! Mike, you rascal, it's not the cooking that 

 makes that venison so tender; you have had the selec- 

 tion of the whole deer," said Jackson. 



" Would you have me take the heels ?" asked Mike, 

 sarcastically. 



And thereupon there arose a great discussion between 

 them as to the safest cut from a deer, as Jackson had 

 some of the old yeoman's ideas of venery, and Mike was 

 in no wise a stranger to this, one of the most considered 

 arts of woodcraft. 



" Hi, dogs !" called Lou, as the hounds crowded 

 around her for the scraps of venison tnat we had not 

 eaten, and licked the hand that fed them. " Down, Jip ! 

 back, Boz ! back Lady ! Bring the turkey, Rose." 

 " " And the bar," said Mike, tossing his wooden platter 

 into the fire and taking another. 



" And the oysters," said the Doctor. 



" And some corn bread," said another. 



" Ho ! for a boar's head and a flagon of wine, and we 

 would make a royal carouse !" cried Jackson. 



" Were we kings, we would not have hunter's appe- 

 tites," said I. 



" And might have the gout," intimated the Doctor. 



The turkey was placed on the table, flanked by the 

 piece of bear's meat, and between them the oysters, and 

 my brochets of liver. The corn-bread, brown and smok- 



