AX UNPLEASANT POSITION. Ill 



left liim hard and fast. There he remained several hours, 

 and began to look forward to a disagreeable night of it, 

 not being accustomed to sleep standing, and having un- 

 pleasant remembrances continually rising up of a child 

 recently left in such a state owing to forgetfulness, and 

 literally eaten by wolves piecemeal, when luckily u man, 

 going home after work, heard and rescued him. He told 

 me that, during his being so tied to the tree, he often 

 thought of the sad fate of his father, -who was an officer 

 in La Perouse's expedition round the world, and was 

 actually devoured by the savages in one of tlie South Sea 

 islands; and he was beginning to think what a strange 

 concatenation it would be for father and son to be both 

 eaten — one by men, and the other by wolves, when he 

 was released by some passers by. But it cured him of 

 preserving. 



Another gentleman was very easy to please. He had a 

 fine pool full of fish, and was honoured with rather too much 

 company in consequence, especially at night. One day I 

 visited him. "And how go on the fish?" " All gone." 

 "Ah!" said I, " what! not all caught, surely?" " I'll tell 

 you what it is," said he. " I was bothered out of my life with 

 vagabonds at all hours, and of all sorts. If the fish were in 

 cold water, I was equally in hot. First it was, ^ Send for 

 the gendarmes ; ' then a case of assault before the juge de 

 paix ; then my servants slept all the day, alleging that they 

 were watching all night ; then I quarreled with some friends 

 because I would not give them leave to come, when I was 

 called miser, and with others who came and caught no- 

 thing, when I was called cheat; and after all the fish 



