LETTER IV. 47 



total, eighteen head not bad for Victoria, eh, 

 my boy ?' quoth Charlie V., a week ago, as he 

 unloaded himself before his admiring wife and 

 myself in the back kitchen, while the smug little 

 Chinaman said a savage but silent swear at the 

 mess Charlie was making. 



' You had much better stay here with your 

 wife, and come up duck-shooting later on, instead 

 of going all the way to the Ashinola country/ he 

 continued : and for a moment, when I thought 



' ' O 



of the terrible crowd who had gone before and 

 were coming after me, I almost consented to 

 remain, for Charlie's ways are seductive, and his 

 cooking distinctly excellent. 



I had come about 6,000 miles to try a country 

 of which I had heard four years ago, and on 

 arrival was told that there were two parties of 

 Americans already ' in,' that others had pre- 

 ceded them and come out, that at least one 

 party of Englishmen were making their way to 

 my happy hunting-grounds from a point further 

 east, and the greater part of the officers of 

 H.M.'s Navy intended to follow shortly. 



Things certainly did not look promising, but 

 some people hate to change their plans, and I 

 am of this sort ; so that dinner over, and the last 

 cigar smoked, I belted on my smaller impedi- 

 menta, shouldered my rifle, put my tent in a cab, 



