76 



NOTES OF THE HUNT. 



We left the boat with real regret ; the hours had flown by as 

 moments ; The romantic paddle the whole length of the lake, that 

 in years gone by had occupied a full day, had resolved itself into a 

 few hours' sail on a prosaic steamboat, only alleviated by the 

 presence of a pretty girl in the wheelhouse. However, we went 

 ashore, found our way to Howard's Hotel and devoured a supper 

 that in its entirety should have sufficed for two clubs, then to the 

 post office for letters, telegrams, and news from the outer world. 

 During the evening Boothby, a settler, with his two sons, brought 

 in two bear skins. He had shot two bears, a few nights before, 

 within half an hour of each other. They were magnificent speci- 

 mens of the black bear, one of them stretching when laid ont, a 

 length of six feet six inches. The skins were secured by Louis as a 

 souvenir of the Canadian forests, to be transported far from their 

 native woods to La Belle France. During the evening we sang the 

 songs, cracked the jokes, told the stories, for the last time and went 

 to bed ; the contiguity of the apartments and our disdain of closing 

 the doors led to desultory conversation that lasted far into the night. 

 Nature finally asserted her supremacy and no tired school-boys ever 

 slept as we did. 



We were up, though, before day-light, ready for the wagons to 

 take us into Bracebridge. It was a bright frosty day, but a hearty 

 breakfast and the best of spirits made the ordinailly tedious ride 

 one of unalloyed enjoyment. At Bracebridge it rained a little, 

 but leaving the river for the lake we steamed out into the broad 

 sunshine. The glories of the Autumnal tints we had found two 

 weeks before in the upper waters, we here saw repeated in a greater 

 intensity, and never have I seen such vivid coloring as was exhibited 

 in the mapled shores of the beautiful Muskoka. Dinner time found 

 us ready in eager anticipation of the good things of this life that 

 awaited us, heightened by Robert's thoughtful production of a 

 couple bottles of sauce, saved from the dinner ot the night previous. 

 The run from Gravenhnrst to Toronto was made without a break 

 except the supper at AUandale, and at Aurora we picked up Dwight, 

 who, seated in our midst on the train, learned from the Babel of 

 tongues poured in his ear, the wondrous tales of Camp Chandler. 

 Thus ended the trip of 1884. We were never more fortunate in 

 the weather, the deer or the good fellowship of our most congenial 

 guests. W.P.R. 



Staten Island, Nov. 2nd, 1884. 



T' 



