Zure, how the measter will
laugh when he zees the fine buck that oie a'zhot."
"And have you really shot him?"
"Come and zee! 'Tis worth your while to walk down to the landing
to look at 'un."
Jacob got a rope, and I followed him to the landing, where, sure
enough, lay a fine buck, fastened in tow of the canoe. Jacob soon
secured him by the hind legs to the rope he had brought; and, with
our united efforts, we at last succeeded in dragging our prize home.
All the time he was engaged in taking off the skin, Jacob was
anticipating the feast that we were to have; and the good fellow
chuckled with delight when he hung the carcass quite close to the
kitchen door, that his "measter" might run against it when he came
home at night. This event actually took place. When Moodie opened
the door, he struck his head against the dead deer.
"What have you got here?"
"A fine buck, zur," said Jacob, bringing forward the light, and
holding it up in such a manner that all the merits of the prize
could be seen at a glance.
"A fine one, indeed! How did we come by it?"
"It was zhot by oie," said Jacob, rubbing his hands in a sort
of ecstacy. "Thae beast iz the first oie ever zhot in my life.
He! he! he!"
"You shot that fine deer, Jacob? - and there was only one charge
in the gun! Well done; you must have taken good aim."
"Why, zur, oie took no aim at all. Oie just pointed the gun at
the deer, and zhut my oeys an let fly at 'un. 'Twas Providence
kill'd 'un, not oie."
"I believe you," said Moodie; "Providence has hitherto watched over
us and kept us from actual starvation."
The flesh of the deer, and the good broth that I was able to obtain
from it, greatly assisted in restoring our sick to health; but long
before that severe winter terminated we were again out of food. Mrs.
- - had given to Katie, in the fall, a very pretty little pig, which
she had named Spot. The animal was a great favorite with Jacob and
the children, and he always received his food from their hands at
the door, and followed them all over the place like a dog. We had a
noble hound called Hector, between whom and the pet pig there
existed the most tender friendship. Spot always shared with Hector
the hollow log which served him for a kennel, and we often laughed
to see Hector lead Spot round the clearing by his ear. After bearing
the want of animal food until our souls sickened at the bad potatoes
and grown flour bread, we began - that is the elders of the
family - to cast very hungry eyes upon Spot; but no one liked to
propose having him killed. At last Jacob spoke his mind upon the
subject.
"Oi've heard, zur, that the Jews never eat pork; but we Christians
dooz, and are right glad ov the chance. Now, zur, oi've been
thinking that 'tis no manner ov use our keeping that beast Spot.
If he wor a zow, now, there might be zome zenze in the thing; and
we all feel weak for a morzel of meat. S'poze I kill him? He won't
make a bad piece of pork."
Moodie seconded the move; and, in spite of the tears and prayers of
Katie, her uncouth pet was sacrificed to the general wants of the
family; but there were two members of the house who disdained to
eat a morsel of the victim; poor Katie and the dog Hector. At the
self-denial of the first I did not at all wonder, for she was a
child full of sensibility and warm affections, but the attachment of
the brute creature to his old playmate filled us all with surprise.
Jacob first drew our attention to the strange fact.
"That dog," he said, as we were passing through the kitchen while
he was at dinner, "do teach uz Christians a lesson how to treat our
friends. Why, zur, he'll not eat a morzel of Spot. Oie have tried
and tempted him in all manner ov ways, and he only do zneer and turn
up his nose when oie hould him a bit to taste." He offered the
animal a rib of the fresh pork as he finished speaking, and the dog
turned away with an expression of aversion, and on a repetition of
the act, walked from the table.
Human affection could scarcely have surpassed the love felt by this
poor animal for his playfellow. His attachment to Spot, that could
overcome the pangs of hunger - for, like the rest of us, he was
half-starved - must have been strong indeed.
Jacob's attachment to us, in its simplicity and fidelity, greatly
resembled that of the dog; and sometimes, like the dog, he would
push himself in where he was not wanted, and gratuitously give his
advice, and make remarks which were not required.
Mr. K - -, from Cork, was asking Moodie many questions about the
partidges of the country; and, among other things, he wanted to know
by what token you were able to discover their favourite haunts.
Before Moodie could answer this last query a voice responded,
through a large crack in the boarded wall which separated us from
the kitchen, "They always bides where they's drum." This
announcement was received with a burst of laughter that greatly
disconcerted the natural philosopher in the kitchen.
On the 21st of May of this year, my second son, Donald, was born.
The poor fellow came in hard times. The cows had not calved, and our
bill of fare, now minus the deer and Spot, only consisted of bad
potatoes and still worse bread.
