MISTAKE OF A RABBIT. 159 



which this was said, finished me, and I went into con- 

 vulsions of laughter. The look of innocent wonder — 

 the dreadful imprecation, and the surprise and terror 

 of the poor rabbit, crouching far away in the bushes, 

 combined so much of the " serio-comico," that I 

 laughed till I awoke the entire camp, who inquired 

 what was the matter. A loud shout followed the ex- 

 planation, which gradually died away into silence, as 

 one after another dropped to sleep again. I, too, at 

 length sunk in slumber, and was just in the midst of 

 a sweet dream, when "crack" went a rifle, not ten 

 yards from me, sending me to my feet with a start. 

 The poor rabbit, however, was the only sufferer. 



B n, after I had thus unceremoniously roused the 



camp, lit his pipe, and sitting down behind a stump, 

 w^atched for the rabbit. Seeing him steal cautiously 

 forth, he had put a bullet through him, and thus 

 ended the innocent creature's existence. 



At length the welcome morning appeared, and 

 launcliing our boats, we started for Cold River to take 

 some trout. 



Yours truly. 



