24 ANIMAL SKETCHES. CHAP. 



instead of taking the long hibernation nap of winter, 

 prowled round the farms, the terror of their inmates ; and 

 he mentioned incidentally that a ranger was said to be 

 abroad that winter and in that very neighbourhood. Our 

 other visitor was not a hunter; he had indeed hunted 

 only once in his life. Unacquainted with the weapons 

 of the chase, he was, he informed us, on that occasion in 

 doubt how to load his gun, but considering half and half 

 a fair measure, he had filled the barrel half up with gun- 

 powder, added shot to within an inch or two of the muzzle 

 and rammed all tight. Thus armed he sallied forth, pre- 

 pared to shoot anything he might meet with, from a 

 sparrow to an Indian. The day wore away however, and 

 he saw nothing but a few birds and beasts which refused 

 to remain in that stationary state which he deemed 

 essential for success. At last he saw in the middle of 

 the road a large bull-frog which sat contentedly blowing 

 out its sides and meditating. He guessed he'd shoot that 

 frog. Fetching a large stone on which to rest his gun he 

 lay down at a distance of about three yards, and fired. 

 " Darn my grandmother, sir, I missed that frog ; I guess 

 something was wrong with the gun, for the tarnation 

 thing burst and shattered that stone, blowing me back- 

 wards some four hundred yards ; and when I recovered 

 from the shock and returned to the spot, the old bull-frog 

 was still there, just contentedly blowing out its sides and 

 meditating. But I'm of opinion, sir, that if I had not 

 attempted a shot at long range, and if that aged weapon 

 had not exploded, I should have bagged that bull-frog." 



Our visitors departed, and we discoursed of the ranger 

 bear. If only we might meet him on the morrow ! I 

 agreed that my travelling companion should have the 

 skin if I might have the skull, and so we departed to 

 our rooms to dream of bears. 



