264 PRAIRIN AND FOREST. 
knee-deep, feeding upon the tender, succulent leaves of the 
water-lily, the youngsters occasionally chasing one another 
in sport, and unknowingly practicing and developing those 
muscles which Nature intends to be their protection in the 
hour of danger; their beautiful, graceful mothers frequent- 
ly raising their eyes from their morning repast with ma- 
ternal solicitude for their progenies’ safety. What sports- 
man could witness such a scene without feelings of the 
greatest pleasure? and, in my opinion, unless hunger could 
be pleaded, he would be unworthy of the name who could 
desecrate the hallowedness and peacefulness of the view by 
wantonly shedding blood. Long I gazed with feelings of 
rapfire, congratulating myself in having at last discovered 
a hunter’s elysium. Uncertainty in reference to my posi- 
tion had vanished, as without trouble, by following the 
margin of the water, I could find my back track. At last 
hunger told me it was time to think of home and breakfast. 
An hour after found me in my bedroom undergoing the 
luxury of a good wash, preparatory to an ample meal. My 
friend, who was rejoiced to see me, having dreaded the in- 
convenience of hunting me up, listened with great pleasure 
to my glowing, and perhaps, unintentionally exaggerated 
description of al! I had seen and endured. On one point, 
however, we were resolved—an immediate visit to the 
beautiful locality I had so lately left. Before a month had 
elapsed many visits had been paid, and heavy game-bags, 
or still heavier fish-baskets, were the result. Game is still 
abundant near the region where my night adventure took 
place, but like every locality, the hunter will have to pro- 
ceed a little farther beyond the bounds of civilization; for 
as certain as the red man vanishes before the stream of 
emigration, or the morning mists before the gladdening 
rays of the rising sun, game flies from the sound of the 
squatter’s axe, or the sharp report of the deadly rifle. 
