ity of ice pounded as fine as possible, sufficient to cram it
absolutely to the top; the rest of the box was then filled with the
birds, displayed in regular rows, with heads and tails alternating, and
a thin coat of clean dry wheaten straw between each layer, until but a
few inches' depth remained between the noble pile and the lid of this
extempore refrigerator; this space being filled in with flannel packed
close and folded tightly, the box was locked and thrust into the
accurately fitting boot by dint of the exertion of Timothy's whole
strength.

"There, Frank," cried Harry, who had superintended the storage of the
whole with nice scrutiny, "those chaps will keep there as sound as
roaches, till we get to young Tom's at Ramapo; you cannot think what
work I had, trying in vain to save them, before I hit upon this method;
I tried hops, which I have known in England to keep birds in an
extraordinary manner--for, what you'll scarce believe, I once ate a
Ptarmigan, the day year after it was killed, which had been packed with
hops, in perfect preservation, at Farnley, Mr. Fawke's place in
Yorkshire!--and I tried prepared charcoal, and got my woodcock down to
New York, looking like chimney sweeps, and smelling--"

"What the devil difference does it make to you now, Archer, I'd be
pleased to know!" interposed Tom; "what under heaven they smells like--a
man that eats cock with their guts in, like you does, needn't stick now,
I reckon, for a leetle mite of a stink!"

"Shut up, you old villain," answered Harry, laughing, "bring the milk
punch, and get your great coat on, if you mean to go with us; for it's
quite keen this morning, I can tell you; and we must be stirring too,
for the sun will be up before we get to Teachman's. Now, Jem, get out
the hounds; how do you take them, Tom?"

"Why, that darned Injun, Jem, he'll take them in my lumber wagon--and, I
say, Jem, see that you don't over-drive old roan--away with you, and
rouse up Garry, he means to go, I guess!"

After a mighty round of punch, in which, as we were now departing, one
half at least of the village joined, we all got under Way; Tom, buttoned
up to the throat in a huge white lion skin wrap-rascal, looking for all
the world like a polar bear erect on its hind legs; and all of us
muffled up pretty snugly, a proceeding which was rendered necessary by a
brisk bracing north-west breeze. The sky, though it was scarcely the
first twilight of an autumnal dawn, was be