42 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA. 



the cold was excessive, and the snow, which had 

 fallen for three days without cessation, covered the 

 ground for several feet in depth. 



Whilst all Mr, Henderson's slaves were hastening, 

 with their master's permission, to the scene where 

 pleasure awaited them, the black Apollo was com- 

 pleting his toilet with scrupulous and unusual care. 

 A ^vlnte shirt, with a collar of preposterous propor- 

 tions, long in front and elevated behind, made friend 

 Dick's head wear the appearance of a block of coal 

 wrapped up in a sheet of white paper. In addition 

 to this, he had a blue coat, with gilt buttons, and 

 long tails reaching dovai to his heels — a cast-off 

 garment of his master — a red silk neck-tie with a 

 fringe at the ends, a green and orange waistcoat, 

 boots which had seen better days, and a kind of 

 brigand's hat; such was the costume. of Dick, "the 

 old darkle fiddler," and when he was dressed, he 

 thought himself as handsome as Adonis. 



Casting a final look at his personal appearance in 

 the scrap of mirror which was fastened to the wall 

 by three nails, and bestowing upon himself a smile 

 which testified his unmitigated satisfaction, Dick 

 took his fiddle under his arm and started upon his 

 journey. 



The moon shone brightly overhead, and the stars 

 (to borrow the poetic expression of our fiddler) 

 were like gilt nails stuck into the ceiling of heaven 

 by some upholsterer; not a sound could be heard, 



