180 MY FIRST CAMP DINNER. 



of hearing all noises, at least so long as the wind re 

 mained in a quarter available for that purpose. There 

 was a double advantage in this not only that of hear 

 ing, but if by any accident the grass caught fire, the 

 wind would trend the flames away from the stock, instead 

 of in their direction. On the night of which I now speak, 

 my ambulance, as well as my dog -waggon, which I order 

 ed always to be near it, was drawn up too close to the 

 baggage waggon, cooking-fire, and tent of my men, and 

 for the future I resolved that this mistake should be rec 

 tified. Having determined to make the driving-seat in 

 my ambulance my place for dinner, I began to set out a 

 few biscuits and other little luxuries, and to think of a can 

 of preserved meats ; but, on my asking if there was any 

 boiling water to heat the can, the cook, Wallace, inform 

 ed me " that it was unnecessary, for the grouse were in 

 plenty, and cooked for immediate use." I confess, on 

 hearing this annunciation, I very nearly was angry, for 

 the feelings of the Old Country were not yet sufficiently 

 stilled, and I had thoughts of hanging the birds for 

 several days to make them tender ; but the idea of where 

 to hang them, on the waggons, in that hot sun, and how 

 natural it was for my men to prefer fresh meat to salt 

 bacon, soothed me, and, having drawn the cork of a bottle 

 of brandy, I began to sigh for dinner. By this time 

 there. could be no impediment to George reaching me 

 with the viands expected, although there might be to 

 others, for, according to orders, he had chained Brutus 

 and Druid to the two front wheels, and Chance and 

 Bar to the hinder ones, their chains permitting them 

 to push up the walls of the tent beneath the ambu 

 lance, and to sit either outside or in it, as they pleased, 

 and they resolutely refused to let the fellow called a 



