502 FOX- HOUND, FOREST, AND PRAIRIE. 



sage across from mainland to mainland of carriage and horse 

 would seem to take her officials entirely by surprise, though it 

 is but fair to add that they are quite above showing any signs 

 of being startled or perturbed. They simply regard the sugges- 

 tion as a trifle scarcely worthy of consideration. Cattle, sheep, 

 and pigs are taken over twice a day, and that is all that anyone 

 seems to know. The captain of the boat receives all moneys for 

 conveyance of live stock, and the transaction, as far as other 

 officials are concerned, may now be considered closed. Even the 

 senile ostler who presides over the hotel stable knows nothing 

 of such ventures, but apparently looks upon it in some such 

 light as he would regard a voyage across the Atlantic in a sail- 

 ing ship, as an unnecessary and unprofitable freak. However, 

 he accepts charge of the casual horse, is much annoyed at being 

 checked in the act of immediately administering a bucketful of 

 ice-cold water, and is still more hurt when called upon to wisp 

 her over outside instead of sweeping into her manger what dust 

 he can dislodge from her ears and forehead with a coarse dandy- 

 brush. When it comes to a question of feeding, he is bound to 

 admit that the hay is too mouldy to be eaten, but proposes to 

 give her some chaff cut from the same material, on the principle 

 of Punch's bachelor housekeeper, who, being informed there was 

 no bread in the house, cheerfully ordered toast as a substitute. 

 Inquiries from rail and steamboat officials, as well as from 

 ostlers, being obviously of no avail, there was nothing for it but 

 to £0 for the " man-in-the-street." 



The latter came to the rescue, and, under promise of beer, 

 pointed out what was known as " the Slip " — a vague and 

 meaningless term that we had already heard, but without the 

 slightest explanation or hint as to what influence the article in 

 question was to have upon our fortunes. " The Slip " turned 

 out to be a sloping causeway leading on to the sandy beach — 

 or possibly, at high water, into the sea — though what its title 

 to the name of Slip might be, except that it was a little bit 

 greasy with seaweed, I failed to discover. At any rate, as the 

 result of two hours' search, we made out that this was to be the 



