278 Sporting Sketches 



should be as clean as the soul of a child. There 

 were, however, jokes and anecdotes a-plenty, prime 

 good fellowship and pipes in fine, all a decent 

 man could ask for. " And," thinks I to myself, 

 " these are the men I was a wee bit shy about 

 and was secretly dubious of in the matter of their 

 ability both as field-workers and good fellows. 

 Never again for me the hesitancy. Henceforth 

 parsons for mine ! They elevate every phase of the 

 fun." 



As we were all pretty tired, it was voted to sleep 

 at the small hostelry, and roll comfortably home 

 next day. Our guide went to his house, and we 

 loafed all we could over an excellent supper, and at 

 last stepped upon the piazza for a few breaths of 

 sweet air before turning in. All three rooms com- 

 manded the street. As we stood upon the piazza 

 the air seemed filled with a peculiar, silvery mist, to 

 which the faint moonlight imparted an almost 

 uncanny effect. On the line of the fence opposite a 

 single, tall, white thing showed in an undecided sort 

 of way. 



In a spirit of sheer idleness, and because we couldn't 

 make it out from where we were, we strolled toward 

 it. It proved to be a long, bottle-shaped board upon 

 which was an " ad " of somebody's whiskey ! 



" Strange, how deceiving this light is that 

 board looked to be fully sixty yards away, yet it's 

 but forty-five," remarked my parson, as we regained 

 the piazza. 



" Not six inches over forty-two, I should say," 

 said the friend, positively. " What do you think ? " 

 he added, speaking to me. 



