, 1888-03-20
ON TIE SAGUENAY.
SATURDAY EVENING ADJUSTMENTS
AMONG CANADIAN LUMBERMEN.

National Gayety n Good Foundation for
Fun Tho Games of "Coddshing,"
"BuckIng Horse" and "Foxes"-Play-
ing a Rude Farce.
On Saturday evening, when the cook
allowed us to sit up late, the men engaged
in games and pastimes, ut the order of the
foreman rs well as by their own desire;
for beans, pork, tea and amusements are
needed to keep them from quarreling and
abandoning the hard labor of numbering.
Their national gayety makes n good foun-
dation for fun, and their national courtesy
prevents them from carrying n Joke too
far and embittering their rough inter
course. A small group were quiet enough
to play n game Of drauChts; the brightest
aud shyest lad spent half an hour in writ
ing n letter, while another sat close by him
and watched him the entire time with
wonder and admiration. The ounge
lad was a victim of many consolatory prac-
tees, he could scarcely appear on the floor
and escape the embrace of one or another;
they made sweet speeches TO him, Rugged
him and kissed him, and insisted that his
hot resistance was due to the shyness n
coquetry of n girl. Early in the evening
n man named Francois arrived from the
settlements; and the company at his en-
trance broke ont with questions about the
pending election. He was a violent parti-
san of the Conservatives, and being n good
sufferer, IN excitable character and a
violent g%esticulator, it soon became evil
dent that he was In some measure the butt
OF his companions.
When ut last the debate seemed to be
getting too warm, the foreman spoke,
quietly but sharply: That's enough;
some games" The group dispersed mt
that instant with an amazing submission.
Aid Francois was the first to lead in
rSparation by suggesting the game of cod
fishing" He stood up blindfolded, hold
ing ont in his left hand one end of n short
leather strap, and raising n knotted towel
in the other, ready to strike; the others
stepped about him, eagerly and silently,
10 Jerk the strap and retreat before he
could deal them n blow; whoever should
get possession of the strap would take his
turn at fishing. At length Baptiste
reached the belt from behind, drew it up
between the tishermRn's legs, and so
dragged him backward around the camp
and out into the snowdrift; and mean
while it seemed as II the roof must rise
with the gusts of roaring laughter. Pass
ing the rat" was n quieter game: they sat
close together in n circle on the floor, with
their feet together and their knees raised
to form an arched passage all around the
circle; the knotted towel was passed about
under their knees, while one man in the
N'NN NaaA'ANA aAAAhA ' VI
feet and tried to catch It.; while he would
he looking or reaching for It at one point,
they passed 1t slyly nlong to the opposite
side of the ring, where they showered
blows on his back ms an intimatiun that
lac was watching at the wrong hole.
The "bucking horse' WINS a line of
men who bent over MS for leapfrog, and
by locking their arms about the whist OF
the one next in front formed n continuous
back; the head man held fast to a post;
the riders mounted at the tail end, and
tried to keep on their beast while crawl
ing aiohy to the head, in spite Of the
jumps, sliyings, and various antics of the
men. During n pause "A fellow came from
the cooks corner with his face whitened,
and WI IN n group saw him and laughed,
he also laughed and blew a cloud of tlour
over than. ''The foxes'' were two men
on hands and knees, tied together by n
strap about their necks; growing,
grimacinG, and backing apart, each tried
TO pull the other over the floor. In 'tsell-
ing sheep" n number of them, covered by
blankets, sat in a group on the floor; the
buyer felt of them and lifted them 10 test
the weight, and finally, after selecting
one, he lifted II FOR q final Judgment
while q by stander set n pan of water I'M
der it-for a surprising effect. In ''knock-
ing down the OWL two men held rigidly
a pole on their shoulders, and n third-the
owl-straddled 1t and hooted defiance
while holding m to his perch;
then the hunters approached, each
with a bag filled with a and
dealt their best blows on the Gather
less bird till he toppled over and hung
head downward. BRptiste and Francois
played a rude farce called "The Peddlers.n
a lad was securely tied as a pack into the
back OF each; then taking a staff they
went around the room, in opposite di.
rections, and offered to sell us pins,
needles, and other notions; while n bar
gain was in progress the peddler would
place the end Of his staff under his pack
and relieve himself more or less OF its
weight, while the wiggling of the pack set
off the crow in fresh merriment. At
last the rival merchants met, got into n
dispute, and then fell to cudgeling each
other-on their packs, Of course. But the
main interest Of all these amusements
was the childishness Of the men; even the
gray haired worked Mt the entertainment
with perspiring zest; the room rang with
their boisterous laughter the loud talking
of all at once, the orders of half a dozen
masters of ceremonies; and the leading
spirits often jumped and danced about
with uncomfortable excitement.-C. H.
Farnham in Harper's Magazine.