106 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. 



culinary operations, the aged matron, with a talent 

 that denoted great skill in adapting herself imme- 

 diately to circumstances, snatched a very battered and 

 greasy straw hat off the head of one of the filthiest 

 youngsters, and made it do duty for dish-cover. Of 

 course, any squeamishness would have been a base 

 return for the anxiety displayed that we should not 

 eat our morning repast cold. An hour afterwards 

 we were all en route-, three buoyant, graceful birch 

 barks transferring the party, which was now aug- 

 mented to ten, and three half-fed hounds, to the 

 opposite beach. 



Well, all that forenoon to mid-day we tramped, 

 tramped, tramped; the only alteration in the per- 

 formance being an occasional halt, when an acute 

 observation of some sign would cause comments from 

 all parties, excepting we two pale-faces. First, it 

 would be a broken twig ; next, an indentation of the 

 ground ; and thirdly, what would not have appeared to 

 the uninitiated a rarity in sheep pastures. Although 

 this was all Greek to us, we determined to look 

 knowing, say nothing, and possibly, like many another 

 under similar circumstances, get credit for being per- 

 fect Nimrods. A halt was at length called, and old 

 Chief John, no small bug, spoke like an oracle. The 

 deer had gone to the big swamp, and if we wanted buck 

 we must go there. Off again we started, I having 

 come to the determination that the whole thing was a 

 humbug, and that I would slip off the first available 

 opportunity. The desired chance soon offered, and 

 after half an hour's walking I struck the margin of 

 the lake where the canoes had been left. Another I 

 found before me at this rendezvous, which helped 



