A NIGHT HUNT UP THE CUNGAMUNCK. 499 



witli a thick bough, kept that in motion with his words ; 

 for he seemed to have a desperate sort of feeling that he 

 must keep up our courage and his own by talking, or else 

 we would be compelled to give in ! He amused us in this 

 trying interval with many stories of his bold adventuring 

 through these northern snows (a fortunate contrast !) in 

 hunting the dangerous moose. While Piscator puffed his 

 segar — patiently fought in open battle his myriad foes, and 

 smiled appreciatingly through his torture as the stories sped. 

 How I admired the superhuman heroism of the man ! 



I could not help enjoying the forlorn and melancholy 

 efforts of the guide to be merry in his suffering. But the 

 night settled rapidly, though it brought no alleviation of the 

 plague of flies, which on warm evenings most abound after 

 sunset for some hours. Now George stepped cautiously to 

 the stern of the boat, and taking the candles from the box, 

 proceeded to light them and place them in the triangular 

 box on -the staff at the bow. Then with great care we 

 noiselessly took our seats, and he paddled the boat with 

 surprising stillness up the outlet. Mine was the foremost 

 seat — as allotted — and though the light above shone power- 

 fully upon the shrubs and grass in front of us on the side 

 of the channel, yet not one ray of it fell upon me ! So 

 with a far-thrown light before us, we glided in darkness up 

 the channel, seeing every blade of grass as we advanced, 

 while we were ourselves unseen ! But the sky had now 

 clouded, and the white mist began to curl up before us, and 

 we only saw the rank grass and elder bushes in advance as 

 it lifted at intervals. 



We glided through the white-wreathed silence for awhile, 

 with the mash plants and grass showing through the gloom 

 on one side, and the tall shrubs on the other, when suddenly 

 there is a splashing to our right — the boat stops^splash ! 

 splash ! splash ! off they go with a loud whistle as they 

 plunge away — two deer are gone ! They had been frightened 



