Moodie and John were
carrying the prize, and old Jenny, brandishing her carving-knife,
followed in the rear.
The rest of the evening was spent in skinning, and cutting up,
and salting the ugly creature, whose flesh filled a barrel with
excellent meat, in flavour resembling beef, while the short grain
and juicy nature of the flesh gave to it the tenderness of mutton.
This was quite a Godsend, and lasted us until we were able to kill
two large, fat hogs, in the fall.
A few nights after, Moodie and I encountered the mate of Mrs. Bruin,
while returning from a visit to Emilia, in the very depth of the
wood.
We had been invited to meet our friend's father and mother, who had
come up on a short visit to the woods; and the evening passed away
so pleasantly that it was near midnight before the little party of
friends separated. The moon was down. The wood, through which we had
to return, was very dark; the ground being low and swampy, and the
trees thick and tall. There was, in particular, one very ugly spot,
where a small creek crossed the road. This creek could only be
passed by foot-passengers scrambling over a fallen tree, which,
in a dark night, was not very easy to find.
I begged a torch of Mr. - -; but no torch could be found. Emilia
laughed at my fears; still, knowing what a coward I was in the bush
of a night, she found up about an inch of candle, which was all that
remained from the evening's entertainment. This she put into an old
lanthorn.
"It will not last you long; but it will carry you over the creek."
This was something gained, and off we set.
It was so dark in the bush, that our dim candle looked like a
solitary red spark in the intense surrounding darkness, and
scarcely served to show us the path.
We went chatting along, talking over the news of the evening,
Hector running on before us, when I saw a pair of eyes glare upon
us from the edge of the swamp, with the green, bright light emitted
by the eyes of a cat.
"Did you see those terrible eyes, Moodie?" and I clung, trembling,
to his arm.
"What eyes?" said he, feigning ignorance. "It's too dark to see
anything. The light is nearly gone, and, if you don't quicken your
pace, and cross the tree before it goes out, you will, perhaps,
get your feet wet by falling into the creek."
"Good Heavens! I saw them again; and do just look at the dog."
Hector stopped suddenly, and, stretching himself along the ground,
his nose resting between his forepaws, began to whine and tremble.
Presently he ran back to us, and crept under our feet.
