MAJOR GASDEN’S STORY. 275 
was an unnecessary quantity of laughter, particularly by 
a gentleman at the foot of the table, presuming I sat at 
the head. This person, however, had a sparkling eye 
and a rubicund nose, and I concluded that he was easily 
pleased, and thought nothing more of the matter; at 
the same time feeling great sympathy for my friend on 
my right, whom I set down as a very bashful man. 
“The venison, all trembling about in its dish, with 
its spirit lamps, and wine condiments, was very beautiful 
indeed, but to me not so much of a rarity as it would 
have been, had I not lived in a country where deer were 
plenty. Determined to call out the bashful man, I ob- 
served to him if I had had the arrangement of the 
dinner, I should have ordered roast beef, as I had un- 
derstood New Orleans was growing quite celebrated for 
that dish. The bashful man smiled, the rest of the 
table were delighted, and it was agreed that it was a 
most valuable suggestion. 
‘‘Thus encouraged, I went on to inform all present, 
that, the sweetest venison I ever tasted was while 
‘travelling on the frontier ;’ that it was not cooked 
like the steaks in the chafing dish before us, but merely 
jerked off of the carcass, thrown on living coals of fire, 
and then while steaming hot, devoured with the simple 
addition of pepper and salt. Hereupon the gentleman 
with the rubicund nose, told the bashful man that this 
second suggestion of mine was invaluable, and another 
unnecessarily hearty laugh followed. 
