86 WILD SPORTS OF THE WEST. 



" For a moment he breasted the torrent gallantly — 

 two strokes more would bring him to the bank — ^when 

 the treacherous load turned, caught him round the neck, 

 swept him down the stream, sank, and drowned him. 

 He struggled hard for life. His wife and children 

 followed the unhappy man as he was borne away — and 

 their agonising shrieks told him, poor wretch ! that 

 assistance from them was hopeless. At last the body 

 disappeared, and was taken up the following morning 

 four miles from this fatal place. One curious circum- 

 stance attended this calamity : to philosophers I leave 

 its elucidation, while I pledge myself for its accuracy 

 in point of fact. A herd of cattle galloped madly down 

 the river-side at the time their unfortunate keeper 

 was perishing ; their bellowings were heard for miles, 

 and they were discovered next morning, grouped 

 around the body of the dead shepherd, in the corner of 

 a sandy cove, where there the abated flood had left it." 



Every one shoots grouse ; the operation is so common- 

 place that none but a cockney would find novelty 

 in its detail. Our morning's sport was excellent. The 

 dogs were in good working condition, and under perfect 

 command ; but at noon the breeze died away, the day 

 became oppressively hot, and the biting of gnats and 

 horse-flies intolerable. Not being exterminators, we 

 ceased shooting at three o'clock, and returned to our 

 cabin with two- and- twenty brace of birds. 



The particulars of the evening compotation I shall 

 be excused in passing over. I must allow that the 

 portion of wine allotted to sportsmen by the Author of 

 Salmonia was awfully exceeded. We anointed our 

 faces with cold cream, which speedily removed the pain 

 and inflammation consequent on the stinging we had 



