88 WARWICK WOODLANDS. 



" Take out the horses, Timothy," cried Harry, " unharness 

 them, and rub them down as quickly and as thoroughly as may 

 be let them have four quarts each, and mind that all is ready 

 for a start before an hour. Meantime, Frank, we will overhaul 

 the game, get breakfast, and hunt up a wagon for the deer and 

 setters." 



"Don't bother yourself about no wagon," interposed Tom, 

 " but come you in and liquor, else we shall have you gruntin 

 half the day ; and if old roan and my long pig-box wont carry 

 down the deer, why I'll stand treat." 



A jorum was prepared, and discussed accordingly ; fresh ice 

 produced, the quail and woodcock carefully unpacked, and in- 

 stantly re-stowed with clean straw, a measure which, however, 

 seemed almost supererogatory, since so completely had the ex- 

 ternal air been excluded from the game-box, that we found not 

 only the lumps of ice in the bottom un thawed, but the flannel 

 which lay over it stiff frozen ; the birds were of course perfectly 

 fresh, cool, and in good condition. Our last day's batch, which 

 it was found impossible to get into the box, with all the ruffed 

 grouse, fifty at least in number, \vere tied up by the feet, two 

 brace and two brace, and hung in festoons round the inside rails 

 of the front seat and body, while about thirty hares dangled by 

 their hind legs, with their long ears flapping to and fro, from 

 the back seat and baggage rack. The wagon looked, I scarce 

 know how, something between an English stage-coach when the 

 merry days of Christmas are at hand, and a game-hunter's 

 taxed cart. 



The business of re-packing had been scarce ficcornplished, and 

 Harry and myself had just retired to change our shooting-jack- 

 ets and coarse fustians for habiliments more suitable for the day 

 and our destination New York, to-wit, and Sunday when 

 forth came Tom, bedizened from top to toe in his most new and 

 knowing rig, and looking now, to do him justice, a most re- 

 spectable and- portly yeoman. 



A broad-brimmed, low-crowned, and long-napped white hat, 

 set forth assuredly to the best advantage his rotund, rubicund, 

 good-humored phiz ; a clean white handkerchief circled his 

 sturdy neck, on the voluminous folds of which reposed in placid 

 dignity the mighty collops of his double chin. A bright canary 

 waistcoat of imported kerseymere, with vast mother-of-pearl 

 buttons, and a broad-skirted coat of bright blue cloth, with glit- 

 tering brass buttons half the size of dollars, covered his upper 



