62 BUFFALO LAND. 



its wild inliabitants certainly arc not. Men, too, have 

 thrown off the summer lethargy, and shave their 

 neighbors as closely as ever. If any one thinks it a 

 dreamy season of the year, let him test the matter 

 practically by being a day or two behindhand with a 

 payment. 



In reply to a question, the professor told us that 

 the smoky condition of the atmosphere was probably 

 caused by the exhalation of phosphorus from decay- 

 ing vegetation. Sachem remarked that out of twenty 

 different objects which he had submitted for ex- 

 amination, and as many questions that he had asked, 

 nine-tenths of the results contained phosphorus in 

 some shape. It was becoming monotonous and dan- 

 gerous. 



While the party thus mused and speculated, we had 

 come out into the open country, south-west of town, 

 and were now aj^proaching Webster's Mound, a cone- 

 shaped hill from which we afterward obtained some 

 excellent views. For the trip we had been supplied 

 with two dogs, one a setter, belonging to the private 

 secretary of the Governor, and the other a pointer, 

 the propert}^ of a real estate dealer. The former was 

 an ancient and venerable animal. The rheumatism 

 was seized of his backbone and held high revel upon 

 the juices which should have lubricated the joints. 

 Even his tail wagged with a jerk, inclining the body 

 to whichever side it had last swung. lie was so full 

 of rheumatism that whenever he scented a chicken 

 the pain evoked by the excitement caused him to 

 howl with anguish. The pointer, per contra, was 

 hale and swift, but had lost one eye ; and a shot from 



