208 THE DAILY LIFE OF OUR FARM. 



Just at the diildren's dinner, there was awful excite- 

 ment — a boat apparently upset, and another following. 

 I took out the glass, and discerned the state of things 

 to be that there was a light punt, with two men aboard, 

 in chase of a runaway raft, on which another man had 

 managed to crawl, at imminent risk of his life — the 

 more especially as he experienced our rapids. It was 

 interesting to watch their manoeuvres. How calm and 

 yet effective their performance ! It reminded me of the 

 quiet way in which a lad, used to the sort, will coolly 

 go in and out of a savage bull's box with little risk of 

 accident ; only a certain amount of snorting rage on 

 the animal's part, and a trifle of contempt on the boy's. 

 Here, down the foaming, dirty river, went punt and 

 raft, waltzing gracefully around and around, while the 

 men, as calmly as if on shore, were lashing it gradually 

 together ; which having done, they slipped quietly 

 along a pole into their punt, the whole three, and with 

 a skilful scientific tow just arrested the monster's 

 affrighted gallop, as they reached a backwater, into 

 which they guided it, all helpless ; and where, in an 

 instant, it was stranded as comfortably and humbly 

 as, at this period of my story, am I. 



Honour to the brave ! Honour to the benefactors of 

 Society ! Let me gratefully record the benefit I not 

 long since derived from a fortunate scientific invention, 

 for which I paid a few sovereigns, and which has repaid 

 the investment amply from the comfort and security it 

 has given to my mind. One bright morning last month 

 I had been loitering, as is my wont, in my dressing- 

 room, watching the timid hen pheasants that ran out to 

 pick up the Indian corn strewn over night for their 

 maintenance, and having to tap the glass occasionally 



