172 HUNTING SPORTS OF THE WEST. 



leave his comfortable fireside ; but I saddled a horse ai 

 once, and was soon at the school. 



Imagine a large smoky building in the n.idst of a forest, 

 with dark, dusty windows; a broad, well-worn door- 

 stone ; a heavy iron-bound door ; and rules and regula- 

 tions pasted here and there in the room. A number of 

 horses, fastened to the surrounding trees, showed that 

 several of the debaters were already assembled. A 

 bright fire burned in the chimney, and the room was 

 nearly full, and almost everybody was talking. At 

 length order was established, and the company proceeded 

 to the business of the evening. Two judges and two 

 leaders were selected. The judges took their places in 

 the centre, while the leaders stationed themselves on op- 

 posite sides, each taking it in turns to choose a follower 

 from the persons present. The question to be decided 

 was this : " In a thickly inhabited district, where much 

 cattle was reared, there was only one parish bull. The 

 district was on the bank of a broad river, and the inhabi- 

 tants were obliged to cross it very often, as all the mills 

 and tanneries were on the other side but there was only 

 one ferry-boat, passed to and fro by a single rope. The 

 bull got down to the ferry, and on board the boat, and 

 gnawed the rope in two ; the boat floated down the river 

 with the bull, and boat and bull were never seen again." 

 These were the facts, now comes the question, " Who is 

 to pay the damage for the loss ? The own-cr of the boat 

 for carrying off the bull, or the owner of the bull, because, 

 from some malicious though undiscovered intention, he 

 stole the boat ? " 



It was highly amusing to see one after another stand 



