A hunter's LIFE. 41 



" For Heaven's sake, father, what do yon mean ? is it 

 one of our relations ? " 



The old man replied, in a calm tone, "Be composed, 

 Nancy ; it's your son, Meshach." 



"Lord be praised I " said the poor old lady; and she 

 Bunk back in her chair, breathless. 



Her husband, who had been looking on, immediately 

 threw cold water on her hands and in her face, and in a 

 short time she began to recover ; when the old man told 

 me to go out of the room until he called me. I walked 

 out, and in a short time she entirely recovered. I did not 

 return until she became fairly composed. She seemed 

 almost afraid to speak to me, lest her nerves would give 

 way again. By little and little, however, she became com- 

 posed, and began to converse freely. The day being now 

 spent, the old man bade us good night ; first making my 

 mother and my step-father promise to bring me to see him 

 as soon as I was rested. 



The evening was passed in relating what had occurred 

 after we had been separated by that selfish couple, John 

 Spurgin and his wife. I told my mother that her sister 

 was a great deal worse than uncle Spurgin was ; and as ?< 

 proof I recited the following story : 



" Before they took me from Flintstone, they promised 

 me that I should be their adopted son, and that all they 

 and I could earn should be mine. But after they had an 

 heir of their own (when I was about twelve years old), 

 she became as cross as a wounded bear. She was an even- 

 tempered woman, for she was always mad. One morning 

 uncle sent me out very early to feed the cows ; and a light 

 snow having just fallen, sufficient for tracking rabbits, 1 

 called my dog Gunner. After the cows were fed, oflF I 

 went to the woods in search of rabbits, and succeeded in 

 taking two very fine ones ; which detained me one hour, 

 c* perhaps rather more. I went home proud enough of 

 4* 



