CHAPTER VII. 



WOODLAND SPOKTS CANE-BRAKES MY EXAMINA- 

 TION BY THE SCHOOL COMMISSION. 



Turkey hunting -with dogs — American aptitude for barter — Hard 

 life in the woods — Ague — Wolves — Unhousing a bear — 

 Kumber of widows in tlie swamps — Postal system in the back 

 states — Comfortable quarters — My musical propensities — The 

 Mississippi at ^Memphis — Cincinnati and its German inhabitants 

 — Our pill-box manufactory — My speculations in reeds — Dem- 

 ocrats in America — The candidates for schoolmastership — My 

 examination — Another cane trip — Buffalo shooting. 



The weather became worse every day. The cold 

 north wind blew furiously through the leafless boughs of 

 the gigantic trees. All crowded together round the 

 warm hearth, and the European began to long for the 

 solid walls and warm rooms of his native land ; for 

 the wind blows, on all sides, through the crevices of 

 the American block-houses ; and as they are without 

 windows, the door must be left open the livelong day 

 to admit the necessary light. Thus it may be imagined, 

 that in spite of the enormous fire, the temperature is 

 not even moderate. In addition, we had nothing to 

 eat but bear's flesh, three times a day ; so I put on my 

 thick flannel hunting-shirt, took my rifle, and made up 

 my mind to shoot a turkey, whereat the dogs began 

 bounding and barking for joy. 



Turkey hunting with dogs is one of the most 

 (182) 



