ce from half
its native continent.* [*Marred it has been long ago. A huge dam has
been drawn across its outlet, in order to supply a feeder to the Morris
Canal--a gigantic piece of unprofitable improvement, made, I believe,
merely as a basis on which for brokers, stock-jobbers--et id genus omne
of men too utilitarian and ambitious to be content with earning money
honestly--to exercise their prodigious 'cuteness. The effect of this has
been to change the bold shores into pestilential submerged swamps,
whereon the dead trees still stand, tall, gray and ghostly; to convert a
number of acres of beautiful meadow-land into stagnant grassy shallows;
to back up the waters at the lake's head, to the utter destruction of
several fine farms; and, last not least, to create fever and ague in
abundance, where no such thing had ever been heard tell of before.
Certainly! your well devised improvement is a great thing for a
country!]

Another half hour brought us down at a rattling pace to the village, and
once again we pulled up at Tom's well-known dwelling, just as the day
was breaking. A crowd of loiterers, as usual, was gathered even at that
untimely season in the large bar-room; and when the clatter of our hoofs
and wheels announced us, we found no lack of ready-handed and quick
tongued assistants.

"Take out the horses, Timothy," cried Harry, "unharness them, and rub
them down as quickly and as thoroughly as may be--let them have four
quarts each, and mind that all is ready for a start before an hour.
Meantime, Frank, we will overhaul the game, get breakfast, and hunt up a
wagon for the deer and setters."

"Don't bother yourself about no wagon," interposed Tom, "but come you in
and liquor, else we shall have you gruntin half the day; and if old roan
and my long pig-box wont carry down the deer, why I'll stand treat."

A jorum was prepared, and discussed accordingly, fresh ice produced, the
quail and woodcock carefully unpacked, and instantly re-stowed with
clean straw, a measure which, however, seemed almost supererogatory,
since so completely had the external air been excluded from the
game-box, that we found not only the lumps of ice in the bottom unthawed,
but the flannel which lay over it stiff frozen; the birds were of course
perfectly fresh, cool, and in good condition. Our last day's batch,
which it was found impossible to get into the box, with all the ruffed
grouse, fifty at least in number, were tied up by the feet,