MR CANTERALL TUMBLES OFF. 319 



coming on, and as I saw that Mr Canterall knew nothing 

 of the locality, I ordered George to take up Druid, and 

 we resigned the chase. The sides of the plains were 

 here considerably broken with winter water-courses and 

 some springs. We saw some prairie grouse, and I ought 

 to have had a shot at a flock of English teal, which rose 

 suddenly out of a small hole of water so suddenly and 

 with such a flutter that their flapping of wings, coupled 

 with the presentation of my gun, caused Sylph to shy 

 so much while she was on dangerous ground, that in 

 steadying her I could not pull a trigger with any hope 

 of success. 



Dark and more dreary lowered tlie gloomy day, 

 Wild were the plains and doubtful grew the way. 



So doubtful did the .ground in fact appear that I gave 

 Mr Canterall a caution, and warned him that I was con 

 vinced some dark green grass we were approaching was 

 of a treacherous character, and that before he crossed the 

 swampy-looking place where this greener grass grew he 

 had better dismount and sound it with his foot. Not 

 attending to this suggestion of mine, the fool at once 

 showed that he had just that amount of courage which, 

 though it sufficed to get him into a difficulty, had not 

 stamina to bring him successfully out again ; a line of 

 conduct he would surely have pursued had we met hos 

 tile Indians ; so to show me this dangerous amount of 

 dubious pluck, with a careless exclamation of all right, 

 on he went, and in an instant my bay horse Kansas 

 sank with a floundering struggle in the swamp up to 

 his tail, and Mr Canterall, tumbling off in abject terror, 

 let go the bridle, and never ceased rolling out of an 

 apprehended danger's way for several yards. The 

 consequence of this unhorsemanlike act was, that 



