88 ADVENTURES IN THE WILDERNESS. 



tlie entire party. Our targets were pennies stuck 

 into the end of a slender stick, two or three feet 

 long, which Jerry held out some thirty paces off ; 

 the rule being that no bullet must graze the 

 stick. Pretty close work it was, requiring steady 

 nerves and an exact eye ; but penny after penny 

 had been dashed out of the slot, and hurled into 

 the oat-field beyond. The blue smoke from the 

 muzzle of my rifle was curling gracefully into the 

 air as I closed the contest, when Everitt exclaimed, 

 " What shall we do to-night, boys ? " " Let us 

 have a dance," shouted Hubbard ; " Uncle's dining- 

 room is just the place to trip the light fantastic 

 toe." And he jumped up from the log on which 

 he had been sitting, and struck into a double- 

 shuflie, which sent the chips flying in all direc- 

 tions. 



" Hurrah ! a ball, a ball ! " screamed Southwick, 

 "unless the Parson objects. A speech from the 

 Parson ! hear, hear ! " he continued, as he turned a 

 double summersault over Fay's back, and landed 

 some distance down the slope in an onion-bed. 

 Unfortunately for the Parson, Southwick's yell 

 was taken up, and the words " Speech 1 " " Ball 1 " 

 " Parson ! " " Dance ! " resounded on all sides. 

 Being thus called upon, I could not refuse to 

 give my opinion. Indeed, I may be pardoned 

 wdien I admit that I felt quite flattered by the 

 heartiness of the call. It was more direct and 



