268 GrvOUSE, snipe, quail, woodcock, etc. 



themselves with the mipedimienta. Arrived at the 

 house I was introduced to mine hostess — an En dish- 

 woman — to my supper, to the boy kins as they made 

 their appearance, and finally, to my bed. 



Before going to bed I had set my gun in its water- 

 proof case in a corner of the supper-room, amongst 

 some dozen others of all sorts, rifles, duck-guns, and 

 double-barrels. On coming into the room the next 

 morning rather early, my eyes naturally turned to the 

 corner where I had placed my gun over night. 



It was gone. 



Kunning out to the verandah, I met one of my 

 host's sons, and very anxiously asked him if he knew 

 what had become of my gun. 



'I guess, brother Sol. has taken it out birding,' was 

 the free and easy answer. 



I was dreadfully annoyed. Had I been asked to 

 lend my wife, my gun, or my thoroughly-broken 

 pointer — supposing I had possessed the first-mentioned 

 article, — I should have been equally unwilling to lend 

 the one as the other ; but for a bit of a boy, a little 

 dirty, careless, ne'er-do-well, to march off with my 

 clean gun, just as I wished to use it, was rather 'piling 

 up the agony.' 



If the worthy Sol. junior has escaped through the 

 civil war, and 'memory holds her seat,' he most pro- 

 bably remembers the comprehensive blessings bestowed 

 upon him when he returned shortly after. Luckily, 



