IMPRISONED IN A TREE. 181 



bullet in what I considered was its body, and then 

 pulled the trigger. 



The echoes had hardly caught up the report of my 

 rifle, or the smoke blown clear of my eyes, before, 

 in a dozen directions, the cane-stems were shaking, 

 and I heard the peculiar snapping noise that only 

 peccaries or negro minstrels can make. Knowing it 

 was no time for swapping horses, I bolted with my 

 empty gun for the fence. 



By the rustling of the cane-stalks, I soon saw that 

 I was pursued. So, dropping my gun at the foot of 

 the first tree that I thought I could climb, I went up 

 like a squirrel. Before I had gained a comfortable 

 perch, ray pursuers were around the root of the tree, 

 where they held an indignation meeting, a la Ameri- 

 caine. My first thought was, Well ! I hope they'll 

 soon get tired of staying down there ! — but as hours 

 went on, and hour by hour slipped by, and still my 

 gaolers showed no sym.ptoms of relaxing their guard, 

 I beofan to calculate the chances of rescue. I knew 

 that my absence at the dinner-table would cause no 

 uneasiness, as I was oftener in the forest at that hour 

 than not. 



Surely, they'll miss me at supper, I thought. 



But I got little consolation from that thought, for 

 many an evening was passed down at the lake, fishing, 

 and I, as often as not, boiled my own fish supper m 

 my wigwam. 



