i 4 2 HUNTING TRIPS 



little pony was, according to custom, turned 

 loose to shift for himself; and I went into 

 the low, windowless hut, which was less 

 than twelve feet square. In one end was a 

 great chimney-place, and it took but a short 

 time to start a roaring fire which speedily 

 made the hut warm and comfortable. Then 

 I went down to the river with an axe and a 

 pail, and got some water; I had carried a 

 paper of tea in my pocket, and the tea- 

 kettle was soon simmering away. I should 

 have liked something to eat, but as I did not 

 have it, the hot tea did not prove such a bad 

 substitute for a cold and tired man. 



Next morning I sallied out at break of 

 day with the rifle, for I was pretty hungry. 

 As soon as I stepped from the hut I could 

 hear the prairie fowl crowing and calling 

 to one another from the tall trees. There 

 were many score many hundreds would 

 perhaps be more accurate scattered 

 through the wood. Evidently they had 

 been attracted by the good cover and by the 

 thick growth of choke-cherries and wild 



