CHAPTER IV. 



THE DANGERS OF FIRE-HUNTING. 



" The pass was steep and rugged, 

 The wolves they howled and whined ; 

 But he ran like a whirlwind up the pass 

 And left the wolves behind." 



Macaulat. 



We had moved our camp to the neighbourhood of a settler's 

 plantation, one of the few in this part of the world. 



" Mike, what kind of night would this be for fire-shooting ? " 

 said the Doctor to that meditative Nimrod, who was busy sewing 

 up a moccasin by the light of the camp-fire, after a week of travel. 



" So, so," replied Mike, without looking up. 



" I am going, I think." 



No answer. Mike put on the mended moccasin, and drew off 

 the other. 



* Do you think we can kill anything ? " 



" S'pose," replied Mike. 



" Come, Charlie, let us try it for a little while." / 



This was all a ruse on the part of Poke, in order to make Mike 

 think our great hunt was an unpremeditated affair, and thereby 

 increase the glory of killing so much game. It had been arranged 

 between us during the day, that we should try fire-hunting that 

 night. It promised to be a cloudy night, which was of great 

 advantage, as it prevented the game from seeing anything of the 

 hunters, and at the same time rendered their eyes more reflective 

 when exposed to the torch-light. We had even gone so far as to 

 make our pitch-pine torches, and the whole preparation was com- 

 plete. It was a party of two — the Doctor and myself. There 

 would be rather more interest in getting the game alone; and 

 beside that, Mike's opinion on fire-shooting was well known, and 



