54 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA. 



frozen with the cokl, almost penetrated to the very 

 marrow. The temperature had gone down very 

 suddenly, owing to the storms of half-melted snow 

 which were driven before a strong north-west 

 wind. The cold, although severe, had not taken 

 my host quite by surprise, for the two heaps of 

 fire-wood which he had piled on either side of his 

 house would have served for the firing of at least 

 ten families. It looked like one of those wood- 

 yards which you see in Paris, to supply the neces- 

 sities of the whole quarter. Wood, as the reader will 

 easily imagine, is not very rare in Kentuck}'-, and the 

 inhabitants are not unskilful in wielding the axe. 



The sun had disappeared two hours ago behind 

 the Cumberland Mountains, and the entire family 

 of my host was seated around a large fire, talking 

 of every conceivable thing that could interest people 

 living in the backwoods. Clearings, crops, plan- 

 tations, the ravages which the numerous beasts 

 of prey had committed, and were still committing 

 in the poultry-yard, and the havock caused among 

 the grain by the crows, the grey squirrels and 

 the raccoons, — these were the prominent topics of 

 conversation. 



"And the 'coons above all," cried Mr. Daniel- 

 son; "those are the worst rascals I knovr. What 

 gluttons ! what thieves ! The best part of our 

 harvests are for them, and the earliest ears of 

 ripe Indian corn bring 'em for miles around. Let 



