NIGHT IN THE WOODS. 55 



He would probably remain in Preston till he liad spent 

 it all in drink, and then take to the woods again for 

 more game. 



I began to find the climate too cold for me, and 

 several Germans had told me that here it was much 

 colder in winter than in our own country. I had no 

 fancy for that, so turned south towards Lake Ontario, 

 in order to get on to Buffalo. I shot a pheasant 

 which gave me a delicate meal, and had hardly left the 

 fire to recommence my march, when I saw seven wolves 

 standing at a distance of about seventy yards. Without 

 a moment's consideration, I dropped lightly down in 

 the snow to load one barrel with ball, fearing that I 

 should not do much with No. 4 shot ; but when I got 

 up again the wolves had taken their leave. As they 

 had fled towards the S. E., I thought of following, to 

 try and get one or two of their scalps (government 

 gives six dollars for a wolf's scalp), but as the sun was 

 getting low, and looked very red, I gave up the chase. 

 I had seen several deer in the course of the day, but 

 could not get a shot at them, and my stomach began 

 to complain considerably. An American would have 

 helped himself by shooting squirrels, of which there 

 were plenty, but I hadn't the heart to eat one of these 

 happy little creatures. Luckily I shot a hare, and had 

 now the comfort of being able to appease my hunger. 

 It was out of the question to think of finding a house 

 for the night, as I was no longer in a track, but in the 

 thick of the forest, and so, before it became quite dark, 

 I collected as much dry wood as I could, cleared away 

 the snow from under a fallen tree, and lighted a fire 

 beneath it, which soon blazed up merrily. When I 



