182 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA. 



of the country-house and the fashionable hotel. 

 In fact, we are entering at full speed an agricul- 

 tural country, the peaceful and laughing features of 

 which accompany the traveller up to Alban3^ He 

 quitted New York Avhen the sun had scarcely topped 

 the horizon, and has arrived at his destination when 

 the day is sinking into the west. 



It was after a journey of this kind that I was 

 seated one evening in the piazza of the hotel at 

 Albany, and was thinking of returning to New York 

 (for I had transacted all my business), v/hen two 

 blacks came up, carrjdng in a large hamper with two 

 handles an enormous salmon, which seemed to weigh 

 from sixty to seventy pounds. 



" What a monster ! " I cried. " I never saw such 

 a large one." 



" Wall, but Frenchmen don't see everything in 

 creation," cried some one by way of answer, and on 

 turning round indignantly at this somewhat imperti- 

 nent observation, I saw that it proceeded from an 

 individual who was sitting, or, to be more accurate, 

 lying down in a rocking-chair, whittling a piece of 

 wood with a large bowie-knife. Directly I turned 

 my eyes on this individual, I recognised an old 

 sporting-friend, Horace Mead, of Philadelphia, 

 whose name has been already mentioned in my 

 volume on " Sport in North America." 



" Can I believe my eyes, old friend ? Is it really 

 you?" 



