WOODLAND CHORUSES. 259 



fish, — but the moment the Doctor dragged him up to shoal water 

 where he could obtain a good footing, then the Doctor was caught, 

 and had either to be pulled in the river or let the line pay out and 

 the brute get back to four-fathom water. 



Soon we heard a call for help, and, after a number of facetious 

 suggestions offered and refused, one of the negroes paddled out a 

 few yards, and, when the animal came up to the surface, put a rifle 

 to his head and killed him. 



The hook was cut out of his mouth, and the body floated down 

 the river a few yards, and, as we learned in the morning, lodged 

 against the bank. 



The discomfort of the Doctor's fishery now became apparent. 

 Supper being despatched, every one rolled over, pulling off his 

 boots for a pillow, or laying his head on his arm. The first 

 sleeper had just begun to emit a hoarse breathing which a listener 

 would call a snore, when we heard, " Ah-ha — whoo-a-whoo-oo-oo !" 

 from a little way down shore. " Bow-ow-ow-owe-owe ! " said 

 every dog in the camp, in different tones of shrillness, depending 

 upon the acidity of their tempers. Up on end came every sleeper. 



" What 's that ? " queried some one. 



" Cuss the wolves ! " quoth Mike. 



" Dar 's a prime psalm-singer, settin' de tune," added Scip. 



" 'Cause he settin' tune, yer mussent kick around like all-afire," 

 says Csesar, holding on to his bruised shin. 



" Wag, here Wag, don't go there ! " called the Doctor to his 

 cur, that had not the least intention of venturing beyond the circle 

 of the firelight. 



Everybody turned over ; wolves are never dangerous, unless to 

 your provisions, and in a moment more there was silence and a 

 sound of strangulation from the Doctor that foreboded his pro- 

 foundest sleep, when " Ooh-ooh-ooough," came the old note, 

 followed by the rush of the dogs and the same series of question- 

 ings and yawnings and objurgations. 



There seemed to be a concert near us ; for the moment one 

 wolf would get tired, another would take up the refrain until it 

 was soon apparent that there was no more sleep for that night. 



We only took cat naps, eating a little now and then and some- 



