110 HUNTING SPORTS OF THE WEST. 



corner, and from time to time it was necessary to throw 

 a pail of water over the fire to prevent the planks from 

 burning ; and then clouds of ashes threatened us with 

 the fate of Herculaneum and Pompeii. 



All sorts of cooking utensils were crowded round the 

 fire a turkey was stuck upon a stick to roast by the side 

 of an opossum, dangling on a string from the roof. Not- 

 withstanding my long abode amongst people who were 

 passionately fond of this article of food, I could never 

 bring myself to eat a thing with a rat's head and tail, and 

 hand-like claws. The prospect of a good supper was a 

 delight to my hungry stomach. Meantime, I was much 

 diverted by a bargain about cows going on between two old 

 backwoodsmen : but, before discussing this subject, it will 

 be as well to say something of the inmates of the shed. 

 Collmar's wife, a stout, strong-built woman of about 

 thirty-four, with two daughters of fourteen and ten, were 

 all that belonged to the fair sex. They were busily em- 

 ployed about the fire with long-handled spoons, turning 

 the meat in the frying-pans, and basting the turkey and 

 opossum ; five smaller figures, with a tin pot of milk in 

 one hand and a lump of maize bread in the other, huddled 

 near the fire, stared at the strangers with all their eyes. 

 The hostess soon made room for the company by sending 

 the children to bed. But to return to the bargainers 

 about the cows. Instead of each praising his own cow, 

 they found so much fault with them, that their own 

 calves, if they had heard it, must have felt ashamed of 

 them. After above an hour's discussion on the faults 

 and failings of their horned property, they observed that 

 they could not part with them without giving something 



