H 



NOTES OF THE HUNT. 



5 *>• 



went the gun, and the deer went down, shot in the head. 

 "We do not do in France Hke you," said Louis, in his 

 animated way, " we do not creep up to him close." 



Home came Louis at dark in his costume of the 

 chase : a sheepskin jacket from Sweden, a Laplander's 

 knife, a Parisian shirt, a Chicago cushion. New York 

 rubber boots, carrying a New England gun. A cordial 

 welcome and congratulations awaited him, for all were 

 proud of his achievement. Matthews, the keenest man 

 in the party for a hunt, lingered so late that we were 

 sure he had something to show. Bye-and bye he showed 

 it — a handsome buck, got on Clear Lake, which cost 

 him some trouble to get and his guide some labor to 

 bring home. 



To-night we had a merry dinner, then played 

 cards. Tom and Willie opposed Wiman and Wilbur at 

 euchre, beating them eight points to three, by Tom's 

 patent method of counting. Louis and J. H. opposed 

 Tinker and Chandler at whist, but the atmosphere was 

 not favorable to repose of mind, or what Charles Lamb 

 somewhere calls, he rigour of the game,' and they did 

 not have a very . satisfactory rubber. Someone an- 

 nounced hot lemonade at nine, as a restorative after the 

 fatigues of the day, but this, out of regard for the card- 

 players, was postponed till 9.30. Then Wiman began 

 to exhort us to go to bed early, and about ten we did 

 go. But not before Willie had related his always-fresh 

 story of old Norton, and caught our French visitor ; and 

 performed the curious Barnum-Vanderbilt biscuit trick, 

 whereby he sold our good friend Tinker. Nine canvas 

 cots, each six feet by three, were arranged on the floor. 

 Each man had two pairs of blankets and could pile on 

 as many overcoats as he liked. All, except Wiman, 



If 1^ 





