30 THE FORESTERS. 



Prone on the Hearth, and basking in the blaz e, 



Three plump but ragged children loitering gaze ; 



And all our landlord's odd inquiries o'er, 



He dealt out tales and anecdotes in store, 



Of panthers trapt (15) — of wounded bears enraged ; 



The wolves and wildcats (16) he had oft engaged ; 



The noble bucks his rifle had brought down — 



How living rattle-snakes he took to town. 



His dog's exploits — the glory of his kind ! 



Now gashed by bears, and lame, and almost blind. 



Displayed his hat, with bullet-holes o'errun, 



To prove the many matches he had won. 



On powder, rifles, lock9 and balls enlarged, 



And a whole broadside on his art discharged. 



The mother spun, the children snored around, 



And Sox, the landlord still fresh stories found ; 



Our nodding heads the power ef sleep contest, 



And the kind hunter led us to our rest. 



Once more the dawn aroused us to the road, 

 Our fare discharged, we left this lone abode, 

 And down, through deepening swamps pursued our way, 

 Where pines and hemlocks quite shut out the day ; 

 Majestic solitudes ; all dead and deep ! 

 The green moss matted o'er each mouldering heap ; 

 On every side with watchful looks we spy, 

 Each rustling leaf attracts our eager eye ; 

 Sudden the whirring tribe before us rise ! 

 The woods resound — the fluttering partridge (IT) dies; 

 Light floating feathers hover on the gale, 

 Aad the biuo> iinoko roils slowly through the vale. 



