WARWICK WOODLANDS. 145 



mixed with strange oaths and loud vociferations, showed that he 

 was on foot, and ready for the field. 



" I'll tell you what, Master A ," said Archer, as he stood 



with his back to the fire, mixing some rum with sugar and cold 

 water, previous to pouring the hot milk into it u You'll be so 

 cold in that light jacket on the stand this morning, that you'll 

 never be able to hold your gun true, if you get a shot. It 

 froze quite hard last night, and there's some wind, too, this 

 morning." 



" That's very true," replied the Commodore, " but devil a 

 thing have I got else to wear, unless I put on my great coat, 

 and that's too much the other way too big and clumsy alto- 

 gether. I shall do well enough, I dare say ; and after all, my 

 drilling jacket is not much thinner than your fustian." 



" No," said Harry, " but you don't fancy that I'm going out 

 in this, do you ? No ! no ! I'm too old a hand for that sort of 

 thing I know that to shoot well, a man must be comfortable, 

 and I mean to be so. Why, man, I shall put on my Canadian 

 hunting shirt over this " and with the word he slipped a loose 

 frock, shaped much like a wagoner's smock, or a Flemish blouse, 

 over his head, with large full sleeves, reaching almost to his 

 knees, and belted round his waist, by a broad worsted sash. 

 This excellent garment was composed of a thick coarse home- 

 spun woollen, bottle-green in color, with fringe and bindings of 

 clingy red, to match the sash about his waist. From the sash 

 was suspended an otter skin pouch, containing bullets and 

 patches, nipple wrench and turn-screw, a bit of dry tow, an oiled 

 rag, and all the indispensables for rifle cleaning ; while into it 

 were thrust two knives one a broad two-edged implement, with 

 a stout buck-horn haft, and a bhicle of at least twelve inches 

 the other a much smaller weapon, not being, hilt and all, half 

 the length of the other's blade, but very strong, sharp as a razor, 

 and of surpassing temper. While he was fitting all these in 

 their proper places, and slinging under his left arm a small 

 buffalo horn of powder, he continued talking 



" Now," he said, " if you take my advice, you'll go into my 

 room, and there, hanging against the wall, you'll find my winter 

 shooting jacket, I had it made last year when I went up to 

 Maine, of pilot cloth, lined throughout with flannel. It will fit 

 you just as well as your own, for we're pretty much of a size. 

 Frank, there, will wear his old monkey jacket, the skirts of 

 which he razeed last winter for the very purpose. Ah, here is 

 7 



