OF THE OLD WORLD. 217 



As soon as the venison was broken up and slung 

 upon poles, we mounted our nags and returned to 



Ooty, where we all met round Major S 's social 



board in the evening ; when, after the cloth was 

 removed, songs went round, and many animated re- 

 citals of hairbreadth escapes and perilous encounters 

 with the grim monsters of the forest were related 

 by the old hands, which caused our sitting to last 

 until a late hour. Just as we were about to sepa- 

 rate, W happened to mention something about 



a cantonment ball that was to take place shortly ; 

 when our worthy host, pricking up his ears, asked 

 if any of us had heard of the direful effects matri- 

 mony had upon Geordie S , a connexion of his. 



" He was before your time, but no one who knew 

 could ever forget him, for a better or keener sports- 

 man never breathed. It was a pleasure to see him 

 dashing across country after the gray boar, or hear 

 his merry laugh, pithy saying, and jolly song in the 

 evening, round the camp-fire when the sports of the 

 day were over. * A change came o'er the spirit of 

 my dream,' Geordie got ' touched,' was led to the 

 altar, ' tied up ;' and I met him again after a lapse 

 of years — but oh ! how changed ! The jovial sun- 

 burnt face had become long; his laughing eyes, 

 that once beamed with mirth, shot out melancholy 

 glances; the formerly strong arm had become flabby; 

 and the legs no better than broom-sticks ! He re- 

 ceived me kindly as ever, but looked, I must own, 

 rather sheepish and glum. After some conversa- 



