ugh which the
"Deer" (mottled with sunshine and shadow) leaped away to the woods
beyond, whilst in the meadow was seen the little "Fawn" tripping along
its green banks until lost in the verdure of the valley. Add to these,
the glittering tints that had been showered from autumn's treasury, and
the effect was complete. But, where are the girls?

_"Oui, oui!"_ exclaimed the Count de ----(a French nobleman of
illustrious descent, and a most amiable, intelligent, and accomplished
gentleman), "where de _demoiselles_--I no see 'em!"

"The what?" asked Jobson.

"De demoiselles; de--de--what _you_ call 'em, Monsieur Job?"

"Girls," answered Jobson.

"Non, non, non,--fie, Monsieur Job,--no girl; dey are--a--a--a--"

"Ladies, Count, you mean," answered Allthings.

"Oui, oui, oui--de ladees--_pas la-bas, pas la-bas!_ They must
be--a--a--_noyees_--what you call when you fall _dans l'eau_ and
_mourez_--eh?"

"Drown," returned Allthings.

"Oui, Monsieur Allting--drown."

"Sure enough," ejaculated Jobson, looking down through the branches,
"the girls are not there! Where can they be?"

_"O ciel!--noyees!--noyees!"_ shouted the Count, plunging down the bank.
_"Mon Dieu!--ces demoiselles dans les eaux!--au secours!--au secours!"_

The last we saw of the excellent Count he was going down the steep bank
on the sliding principle, shouting with all his might, and presenting a
rare sight of "ground and lofty tumbling" quite edifying to behold.

We now all looked. True, the deep hollow beneath was quite forsaken. No
ladies were there to be seen. Marvelling somewhat at the sudden
disappearance, we all descended from our respective perches by the
ladders formed of the branches, roots and tough grape vines, and set
foot upon the hollow where our dinner had transpired. Looking around at
the banks by which we were surrounded, we at length saw the girls emerge
from a twisted ravine at the lower part of the hollow scarcely
discernible from the foliage with which it was roofed, and found from
the wreaths of moss, ground pine and wild flowers in their hair and
around their persons, that they had been also making explorations,
although in a lower region than ours.

The Count now rejoined the party, after having peered most anxiously and
at various points into the lower basin to find the drowned ones, all
clustered together upon the short velvet sward near the streamlet, and
Paddock was called upon for one of his Indian legends.

He s