66 IN THE DAYS OP AUDUBON 



lowing picture of the hospitality at an old pioneer's cabin, 

 ending with an anecdote comical indeed: 



" Off we went at a round trot, dancing in the cart like 

 peas in a sieve. The road, which was just wide enough to 

 allow us to pass, was full of deep ruts and covered here 

 and there with trunks and stumps, over all which we were 

 hurried. Our conductor, Mr. Flint, the landlord of the 

 tavern, boasting of his perfect knowledge of the country, 

 undertook to drive us by a short cut, and we willingly con- 

 fided ourselves to his management. So we jogged along, 

 now and then deviating to double the fallen timber. Day 

 commenced with promise of fine weather, but several nights 

 of white frost having occurred, a change was expected. To 

 our sorrow, the change took place long before we got to the 

 road again. The rain fell in torrents; the thunder bel- 

 lowed; the lightning blazed. It was now evening, but the 

 storm had brought perfect night, black .and dismal. Our 

 cart had no cover. Cold and wet, we sat silent and melan- 

 choly, with no better expectation than that of passing the 

 night under the little shelter the cart could afford us. 



" To stop was considered worse than to proceed. So 

 we gave the reins to the horses, with some faint hope that 

 they would drag us out of our forlorn state. Of a sudden 

 the steeds altered their course, and soon after we perceived 

 the glimmer of a faint light in the distance, and almost at 

 the same moment heard the barking of dogs. Our horses 

 stopped by a high fence and fell a-neighing, while I hal- 



