16 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPOKTS. 



undergoing culinary operations, the aged matron, with 

 a talent that denoted great skill in adapting herself 

 immediately 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 oppo- 

 site 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 perfect JSTim- 

 rods. A halt was at length called for, and old Chief 

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

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



