34 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST. 



in front, by no means in a mourning attitude ; his left 

 foot rested on his right knee, the left elbow on the left 

 knee. He was dressed in a shabby blue coat, a hat with 

 the rim torn and hanging down; his trowsers might 

 have been white if they had been washed ; his left hand 

 held an apple, which he was eating with the greafest 

 composure ; the right held the whip, with which from 

 time to time he encouraged his horses ; the reins were 

 twisted round his left knee. The hearse was followed 

 by six luggage cars, each containing from ten to twelve 

 mourners, sitting back to back, with feet hanging down 

 the sides, men and women together, in clothes of all 

 colors, eating, drinking, and laughing : to say the least, 

 it appeared to me a very original kind of funeral. 



It was late when I arrived at the boarding-house, 

 for when I turned homewards I found so many things 

 to attract my attention that the hours flew rapidly by. 

 All my companions were assembled, and we had much 

 to relate. As we were going to bed about twelve, 

 there was a cry of " fire ! fire ! " in the streets. I 

 jumped up and looked out of the window, — the sky 

 above the opposite houses was deep red. As I was 

 still dressed, and none of the others would go, I ran 

 down stairs, and hastened in the direction of the fire ; 

 I hurried along one street after another, following the 

 reflection in the sky ; yet it was three quarters of an 

 hour before I arrived at the fire. It was a small 

 wooden building still in flames, so I came in good time 

 to see the engines worked. There were several Ger- 

 mans among those who had hastened to the fire; I 

 asked one of them how far it was to my boarding-house, 

 and learnt to my horror that it was two miles off. He 



