258 SPORTING SKETCHES. 



The train we had arranged to take had also been selected by other 

 sportsmen to convey them to their destination. Learning from 

 them that they had secured all the available guides and boats to 

 be had where they were going, and as it turned out they had 

 chosen the same place we had heard of as being a good one and 

 were going to unexpectedly, we made up our minds to leave the 

 train and the other party when we arrived at St. Johns. On 

 reaching this station it was raining in torrents. The people here 

 had been praying for rain, not being contented to leave the 

 weather to the "Great Clerk." Their prayer had indeed been 

 answered. The roads were in many places under water and some 

 of the culverts washed oat. Oh ! what mud there was every- 

 where. The poor farmers lost all their root crops and were in 

 despair. I had once stopped at a fisherman's cabane some miles 

 up the river and then the owners had told me they shot a good 

 many ducks there in the autumn, and would be glad to see me 

 there. To this place we had determined to go, and after a good 

 deal of bargaining a man undertook to drive us somewhere near 

 this shooting ground. Before starting we made enquiries and 

 found out just where we should leave our horse and foot it across 

 a meadow, through a w r ood to the river side, where we should 

 find the shanty. Well after a terrible drive we arrived about 

 midnight at the then dark and dreary place. The horse was 

 made fast to a post and with the Jehu to carry one of the carriage 

 lamps we shouldered our guns, rifle, lunch basket and 1| dozen 

 decoys. I led the way, but it was so dark in the woods and the 

 water about a foot over the ground we had much difficulty in 

 pushing and wading our way through. We walked a circle and 

 come out again on to the meadow just about where we left it, 

 causing us at first to mistake the remaining lamp in the carriage 

 for that in the hunters window. Now, as I was the only one of 

 the party with rubber boots on, you can understand we were a 

 little discouraged. Still we resolved to try it again, and by keep- 

 ing three trees in a line before us as often as the deep holes would 

 allow us, we at last got out into the rushes on the shore, saw the 

 river in the distance, also a stack of marsh hay, and nothing 

 more. We shouted loud and often, but there came no welcome 

 answer. Then we concluded the cabane had been removed (in 

 reality it was hidden by the hay stack, and the wind prevented 

 our being heard). Back again we went to the road, and found 



