THE RACCOON. Gl 



once or twice and died, after a struggle. This was 

 an enormous raccoon. The sons of our host had no 

 such difficulty in bagging their game. To light 

 some brushwood, and smoke out the hiding-places 

 which the creatures had had the misfortune to trust 

 to, to watch for them, and knock them over as they 

 came out, was the affair of a very few minutes. The 

 victims were lying on the ground, when we rejoined 

 the group. 



The moon rose, and its rays shone across the 

 shadows of the forest, as we advanced as rapidly as 

 the roughness of the road allowed us, looking quite 

 as much upwards as downwards ; trying to discover 

 a raccoon' asleep in the forks of the branches. At 

 last I saw one, which looked like a black spot in 

 that part of the sky which was lighted up by the 

 moon, and firing, I had the good luck to roll him 

 over with the single shot. My companions also 

 had opportunities to display their skill, and we 

 should have continued this fascinating sport, if 

 our stomachs had not begun to cry out for sup- 

 per. We made our way back, and, as the reader 

 may imagine, did due honour to the repast that 

 Mrs. Danielson and her charming daughter had 

 prepared for us. It was delightful to see how 

 appreciatively the sportsmen devoured the slices of 

 smoked peccary ham, the muffins, and corn cakes 

 soaked in cream as thick as butter, and sweet pota- 

 toes, as sw^eet as sugar, baked in the ashes. Nor 



