LETTER XVIII. 193 



the platform, and, thank Heaven ! an omnibus of 

 sorts. The pair (myself and wife) enter the 'bus 

 and are driven away, feeling thankful that the 

 guard's lucifer has not been needed. It is too 

 dark to notice much, but that there is a very 

 nipping and an eager air about to-night, before 

 we draw up with a jerk at our inn. The driver 

 dismounts, hands out the lady, and calls for his 

 wife to come and look after her, in the broadest 

 Irish. 



Whilst the lady is inspecting our quarters for 

 the night, Mr. McNamara persuades me to ' thry 

 a dhrink,' and applies himself to the discovery of 

 my motives in visiting * No-matter- where.' 



' Is it the gould they've been finding lately 

 you'll be wanting to see, sorr ?' 



' No, McNamara/ I reply ; ' I can't afford to 

 look at gold-mines ; I've come to try to get a 

 moose. Are there any hereabouts ?' 



' Any moose, is it ? I do assure you, sorr, 

 that I just wonder we weren't jostled by them 

 as we came to the hotel,' replies the truthful 

 Gael. 



Such reports are all very well at night, but in 

 the morning facts have to be faced and dealt 

 with. A law has been passed prohibiting the 

 slaughter of moose altogether in one half the 

 neighbourhood, and the local Indian hunters, 



13 



