A CIVIL LANDLADY. 



161 



by daylight^ and, of course, acquiesced. The 

 postmaster was out, but a very dirty, civil wife 

 was all attention. She said we were very wel- 

 come, but she had nothing to give us. On 

 hearing this I quickly took my gun out of its 

 case, and descended to a swampy pond near the 

 hut, where I had observed a select company of 

 teal ; and I had the good fortune to slay two of 

 these at the first shot. I thereupon hastened 

 back to have them dressed. Returning, I had to 

 pass through a large herd of cattle, whose admi- 

 ration had been very much excited by a thing 

 so unusual as the report of a gun, and the appear- 

 ance of a strange-looking man on foot. They 

 collected round me in a circle, regarding me in a 

 way that I did not quite approve. One bull in 

 particular took the lead, and by an ugly roll of 

 his eye, whilst he pawed the ground, seemed to 

 inform me he had made up his mind not merely 



