288 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. 



part of the State of Illinois. Autumn was the season 

 when first I visited it, and so charmed was I with its 

 suitableness for this description of sport that I tarried by 

 its banks not only the two weeks originally intended, but 

 many weeks more. 



For a water-course situated in a settled State it was 

 wonderfully free from intrusion ; so much so, that my 

 friend and self have frequently gone from morning till 

 night without seeing the face of a stranger. 



The appearance of this river is easily described, for there 

 was no grand cascade or boiling rapid to make it remark- 

 able ; no, it was only a commonplace prairie stream about 

 sixty yards wide, margined at the edge with lilies and 

 sedge, which was again bounded on the dryer ground by 

 dwarf hazel and alder bushes in sparsely-scattered clumps, 

 the whole framed in with thin, widely-scattered, diminutive 

 trees. Thus the reader will perceive that there was enough 

 cover to get within range of your game, not sufficient to 

 interfere with your aim, and the walking was excellent on 

 both sides, free from quagmire or cedar swamp. 



I can recall with pleasure the rich go'den mellow of the 

 American autumn glinting over this retired scene, and 

 almost every variety of duck passing with strong and rapid 

 pinion, unconscious of danger, along the centre of the 

 stream, and within such easy gun-shot that we invariably 

 picked up each other's birds ; for we look reverse sides of 

 the river, such a proceeding saving our faithful, patient, 

 ever-willing retrievers. Nor would our forenoon bag be 

 better than the afternoon one, although towards night we 

 returned over the same route we had pursued in the morn- 



