22 WARWICK WOODLANDS. 



perdu in the broad skirts. Knee-breeches of the same mate- 

 rial, with laced half-boots and leather leggiiis, set off his stout 

 calf and well turned ankle. 



" Up ! up ! Frank," he exclaimed, " it is a morning of ten 

 thousand ; there has been quite a heavy dew, and by the time 

 we are afoot it will be well evaporated ; and then the scent 

 will lie, I promise you ! make haste, I tell you, breakfast is 

 ready !" 



Stimulated by his hurrying voice, I soon completed my toilet, 

 and entering the parlor found Harry busily employed in stirring 

 to and fro a pound of powder on one heated dinner plate, while 

 a second was undergoing the process of preparation on the 

 hearth-stone under a glowing pile of hickory ashes. 



At the side-table, covered with guns, dog-whips, nipple- 

 wrenches, and the like, Tim, rigged like his master, in half 

 boots and leggins, but with a short roundabout of velveteen, in 

 place of the full-skirted jacket, was filling our shot-pouches by 

 aid of a capacious funnel, more used, as its odor betokened, to 

 facilitate the passage of gin or Jamaica spirits than of so sober 

 a material as cold lead. 



At the same moment entered mine host, togged for the field 

 in a huge pair of cow-hide boots, reaching almost to the knee, 

 into the tops of which were tucked the lower ends of a pair of 

 trowsers, containing yards enough of buffalo-cloth to have eked 

 out the main-sail of a North River sloop ; a waistcoat and sin- 

 gle-breasted jacket of the same material, with a fur cap, com- 

 pleted his attire ; but in his hand he bore a large decanter filled 

 with a pale yellowish liquor, embalming a dense mass of fine 

 and worm-like threads, not very different in appearance from 

 the best vermicelli. 



" Come, boys, come here's your bitters," he exclaimed ; 

 and, as if to set the example, filled a big tumbler to the brim, 

 gulped it down as if it had been water, smacked his lips, and 

 incontinently tendered it to Archer, who, to my great amaze- 

 ment, filled himself likewise a more moderate draught, and 

 quaffed it without hesitation. 



" That's good, Tom," he said, pausing after the first sip ; 

 " that's the best I ever tasted here ; how old's that ?" 



" Five years !" Tom replied : " five years last fall ! Daddy 

 Tom made it out of my own best apples take a horn, Mr. 

 Forester," he added, turning to me " it's first best cider sper- 

 rits better a darned sight than that Scotch stuff you make 



