WILD LAKES OF THE ARIONDACK. 475 
of the tireless gray wolf; and the brown bear, like a clumsy 
boxer, cuffs the screaming panther away from its newly slain 
feast ! : m 
The Indian is gone, but yet his ancient foes and victims 
have flourished apace, and may usurp their inheritance. 
Hurrah! hurrah! Arkwright and Fulton have not yet 
conquered the free earth of God in this direction—and 
bound aiZ its limbs in chains! 
_ “The undevout astronomer is mad’”—and the devout 
sportsman may be forgiven, if at such a sight he, too, grow 
mad and should fall to capering, and become something of 
a heathen in his glee, shouting as I did. i 
“Take my cap, Jupiter, and thank thee!” Against such 
uncanonical sins I hereby formally warn all other faithful 
sons of Nimrod, who may be “taken aback” under similar 
circumstances. 
As to the propriety of capering and throwing up one’s 
cap on the top of a mountain, I must in meekness confess 
to its being “Aéghly improper” —“‘unworthy the dignity,” 
ete.—but bless our soul, who could help it? Not any genuine 
sportsman, I am sure, whether he be “ Venator,” ‘“ Piscator,” 
or “ Anceps!’—or all combined as—“TI flatter myself !’’— 
ahem ! 
No, it was not in human nature—or more inclusively, 
sportsman’s nature—to look down upon a scene so gloriously 
fresh—so impregnably savage—hemmed in with its blue- 
topped barriers forever !—without feeling rich—rich as the 
discoverer of some new gold-bearing island of the ta»pic 
sea of dreams—richer far than one of England’s proud lords 
when he waved his hand towards his fenced and great domain ; 
for this, too, was mine—was ours—was all mankind’s—was 
Gon’s, as the executor for ALL! 
And what if I were guilty of some saltant absurdities ? 
There were no game law iniquities upon my shoulders to 
weigh down my heels!—all this was free, and the fatness 
