802 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



"Well!" said I, as I squirmed in my saddle, wlieii she was 

 out of ear-shot — " Here's ^free specimen, with a vengeance ! 

 A sort of Amazonian-Siamese-Twins-of-a-personage — a double- 

 shotted-she-fanatic run wild ! She is surely sufficient unto 

 herself? — Lord help the husband of such a woman — if she 

 have one !" Then I felt mean. 



" But, by Jove, how strangely she talks — and how kindly she 

 has treated me — if she does patronize ! I half suspect she's 

 right about the child!'' 



The deer was dissected in short order, and she returned to 

 my side bearing the hams still enveloped in the hide, which 

 had been stripped from the fore-parts, which are not much 

 valued in a country where venison is so abundant. She slung 

 her burden across my horse behind my seat, merely remarking 

 as we moved on — " This is a fat saddle !" 



"But is it possible that you hunt on foot always?" 



"Yes; I prefer it!" 



" How do you get your meat home ? — not upon your shoul- 

 ders, I hope !" 



" Yes — but why not, young man ? My limbs are strong, 

 my step is firm. I do not tire like the tottering creatures of 

 rotten civilization. I who breathe God's pure air have the 

 will — why not the deed ?" 



"But you are a woman," I persisted. "Your husband, if 

 you have one, should do this ?" 



" Bah ! What if I am a woman — I must work ? My hus- 

 band works ! Works gloriously and nobly for mankind, and 

 I, too, am laboring for mankind when I provide for him. He 

 has no time for such menial labors ; and if he had, he would 

 be doing injustice to the necessities of the race if he gave it 

 to anything but the high mission on which he has been sent !" 



"This is a strange doctrine, it seems to me — you are 

 reversing the savage code; for even with them, although the 

 women perform the baser services, the men at least do the 

 hunting." 



