by eight; a dining-room twenty feet by twelve, with
a fireplace eight feet wide; and two bed-rooms of twenty feet by eight.
Deer-hides were pegged down to form a carpet upon the floors, and the
walls were neatly covered with talipot leaves. The outhouses consisted
of the kennel, stables for three horses, kitchen, and sheds for twenty
coolies and servants.

The fireplace was a rough piece of art, upon which we prided ourselves
extremely. A party of eight persons could have sat before it with
comfort. Many a roaring fire has blazed up that rude chimney; and dinner
being over, the little round table before the hearth has steamed forth a
fragrant attraction, when the nightly bowl of mulled port has taken its
accustomed stand. I have spent many happy hours in this said spot; the
evenings were of a decidedly social character. The day's hunting over,
it was a delightful hour at about seven P.M.--dinner just concluded, the
chairs brought before the fire, cigars and the said mulled port. Eight
o'clock was the hour for bed, and five in the morning to rise, at which
time a cup of hot tea, and a slice of toast and anchovy paste were
always ready before the start. The great man of our establishment was
the cook.

This knight of the gridiron was a famous fellow, and could perform
wonders; of stoical countenance, he was never seen to smile. His whole
thoughts were concentrated in the mysteries of gravies, and the magic
transformation of one animal into another by the art of cookery; in this
he excelled to a marvellous degree. The farce of ordering dinner was
always absurd. It was something in this style: 'Cook!' (Cook answers)
'Coming, sar!' (enter cook): 'Now, cook, you make a good dinner; do
you hear?' Cook: 'Yes, sar; master tell, I make.'--'Well, mulligatawny
soup.' 'Yes, sar.'--'Calves' head with tongue and brain sauce.'
'Yes, sar.'--' Gravy omelette.' 'Yes, sar.'--'Mutton chops.'
'Yes, sar.'--'Fowl cotelets.' 'Yes, sar.'--'Beefsteaks.' 'Yes,
sar.'--'Marrow-bones.' 'Yes, sar.'--'Rissoles.' 'Yes, sar.' All these
various dishes he literally imitated uncommonly well, the different
portions of an elk being their only foundation.

The kennel bench was comfortably littered, and the pack took possession
of their new abode with the usual amount of growling and quarrelling for
places; the angry grumbling continuing throughout the night between the
three champions of the kennel--Smut, Bran, and Killbuck. After a night
much disturbed by