At the rattle of our arrival, out came from the larger of the cottages,
three tall rough-looking countrymen to greet us, not one of whom stood
less than six foot in his stockings, while two were several inches
taller.
Great was their wonder, and loud were their congratulations when they
beheld the unexpected prize which we had gained, while on our route; but
little space was given at that time to either; for the coffee, which, by
the way, was poor enough, and the hot cakes and fried perch, which were
capital, and the grilled salt pork, swimming in fat, and the large mealy
potatoes bursting through their brown skins, were ready smoking upon a
rough wooden board, covered, however, by a clean white table cloth,
beside a sparkling fire of wood, which our drive through the brisk
mountain air had rendered by no means unacceptable.
We breakfasted like hungry men and hunters, both rapidly and well; and
before half an hour elapsed, Archer, with Jem and one of our bold hosts,
started away, well provided with powder and ball, and whiskey, and
accompanied by all the hounds, to make a circuit of the western hill, on
the summit of which they expected to be joined by two or three more of
the neighbors, whence they proposed to drive the whole sweep of the
forest-clad descent down to the water's edge.
Pages:
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120