The prairie news., 1858-12-23

speed, can throw his cap on the ground
and pick it up without dismounting.-
Well has my father taught him the Per-
sian maxim, "to ride and speak the
truth" All, none who have not such a
brother, strong and brave as knight of
old, yet gentle as woman, can sympa-
thize with my pride and admiration.
We gathered round our blazing fire in
the evening; the wind howled drearily
without, and whispered dreadful secrets
down the chimney and through the key
hole. The rain uttered its miserable
complaints, and strove to break in the
windows, but we needed neither. As
Posey sat on her low chair in the corner,
netting her purse, Christmas gift for
Pa, the golden beaded moments were
woven into the tissue of our existence
in bright and varied figures.
"Well, my boy" said my father, "and
how did you fare in the bottom this fall |!
How many bears, and how many deer
have you hunters brought home with
youl"
"Why, father, We left ten deer and
four bears over in town this evening. l
am going over with Lyt in the morning
after my part of the game. And, Oh
Rosy, what do you think have got for
you I Now shut your eyes and guess"
90 please, brother, whatl Do tell
me. Is it doll, or parrot, ora mon
key, or a goldfish 2"
"None of these articles grow wild in
the bottom. 1t is something you have
been wanting long, long time-a little
fawn. Poor thing, shot its mother one
day in the depths of the woods, far away
from my companions. AS she lay on the
ground painting and gasplng for breath,
| saw her mournful eyes turn towards
the little creature, covering in the bushes
beside her, with look of almost human
affection, and she turned them on me
with glazing eyes full of agony and re-
proach. Old hunter, that am, strange
y sickening sensation came over me. l
tried to capture the fawn, but it fled at
my approach. As rode away, howev-
er, heard little feet rustling in the dead
leaves behind me, and On looking round,
| saw my poor, timd little orphan. 1t
followed me to the camp. | nursed it,
fed it, and every night since, it has slept
near me, wrapped in my red blanket
40, brother" said Posey. breaking
out into rapture, what darling and
has it got spots, and a collar, and a belll'
Why, Posey, am really darling :!
am neither spotted, though, nor have
bell"
"My dear child" said my mother,
gravely and anxiously, "You are mis-
taken. | have noticed that you have got
a great many freckles since you went
away. / am afraid you did not wear
your hat"
"Indeed, mother, | was good boy
about that, but it seems to me that the
sun down there creeps under ones hat
and takes one by surprise, and then there
are the reflections from the water. On,
father, if you could but see one of those
lakes, and the rich land around it, you
would be as anxious to go to the bottom
as any one. There is no end to the fish
and game. There is sport enough on
one of those ponds to keep one busy all
the year. have often sat in little ca
noe, hid away among the reeds on the
bank, and shot fifty or sixty wild ducks
before l got tired. Every shot brought
one Gown as unerring as fate. By the
nv. that reminds me of Fred Sutherland.
You never saw him shoot, did you! No,
nor any one else, but it is worth while to
see him try it. We were all out hunting
deer one morning. each ne at his stand.
/ happened to be near enough to observe
Fred closely. We had to wait some
time. and saw that he was growing
rapidly impatient and excited. AT last a
fine largo fellow came bounding gaily
along, totally unsuspicious of the trap
laid for him, and passed scarcely ten
steps from Sutherland. He raised bis
gun as if about to fire, and held it for an
instant. But the excitement was too
much for him. He brought the gun sud
denly to the ground, crying out with In
tarra intarcSt .- rslr srHT Gsf Hae'