62 WARWICK WOODLANDS. 



year after it was killed, which had been packed with hops, in 

 perfect preservation, at Farnley, Mr* Fawke's place in York- 

 shire! and I tried prepared charcoal, and got my woodcock 

 down to New York, looking like chimney sweeps, and smell- 

 ing -" 



" What the devil difference does it make to you now, Archer, 

 I'd be pleased to know I" interposed Tom; " what under heaven 

 they smells like a man that eats cock with their guts in, like 

 you does, needn't stick now, I reckon, for a leetle mite of a 

 stink !" 



" Shut up, you old villain," answered Harry, laughing, "bring 

 the milk punch, and get your great coat on, if you mean to go 

 with us; for it's quite keen this morning, I can tell you; and 

 we must be stirring too, for the sun will be up before we get to 

 Teach man's. Now, Jem, get out the hounds ; how do you take 

 them, Tom ?" 



" Why, that darned Injun, Jem, he'll take them in my lumber 

 wagon and, I say, Jem, see that you don't over-drive old 

 roan away with you, and rouse up Garry, he means to go, I 

 guess !'* 



After a mighty round of punch, in which, as we were now 

 departing, one half at least of the village joined, we all got un- 

 der way ; Tom, buttoned up to the throat in a huge white lion 

 kin wrap-rascal, looking for all the world like a polar bear erect 

 on its hind legs ; and all of us muffled up pretty snugly, a pro- 

 ceeding which was rendered necessary by a brisk bracing north- 

 west breeze. 



The sky, though it was scarcely the first twilight of an autum- 

 nal dawn, was beautifully clear, and as transparent though still 

 somewhat dusky as a wide sheet of crystal ; a few pale stars 

 were twinkling here and there ; but in the east a broad gray 

 streak changing on the horizon's edge to a faint straw color, 

 announced the sum's approach. 



The whole face of the country, hill, vale, and woodland, was 

 overspread by an universal coat of silvery hoar-frost; thip, 

 wreaths of snowy mist rising above the tops of the sere wood- 

 lands, throughout the whole length f the lovely vale, indicated 

 -as clearly as though it were traced on a map, the direction of 

 the. stream that watered it; and as we paused upon the brow 

 of the first hillock, and looked back toward the village, with its 

 white steeples and neat cottage dwellings buried in the still re- 

 pose of that early hour, with only one <r two faint columns of 



