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and pained him terribly, felt comfortable in the cool grass, and did not disturb the linen rag which I moistened every now and then. Nor did I forget myself; I rested, bathed, and after a while enjoyed the liver and tongue of the old vagabond, until the evening breeze had cooled the air, and I reached home partly on foot, partly on horseback.

Nature seems to have selected the buffalo before all varieties of game for the purpose of bringing to the door of the man who first dares to carry civilisation into the desert, abundant | food for him and his during the first years, so that he may have time to complete the works connected with his settlement, and have no trouble in procuring provisions. When this time is past, nature withdraws this liberal support from him; in the course of a few years he must go a long distance to obtain this food as a dainty, which he grew quite tired of in the early years, for the buffalo is not frightened by the pioneer's solitary house and field, but as soon as several appear, the animals depart, and are only seen as stragglers.

The woolly hides of the buffaloes supply the new-comer in the desert with the most splendid and comfortable beds. When laid over the roof, they protect his unfinished house from rain and storm; he uses their leather for saddles, boot-soles, making ropes of all sorts, traces, &c.; its meat, one of the most luxurious sorts that nature offers man, seems to be given to the borderer as a compensation for the countless privations and thousand dangers to which he subjects himself. Buffalo's marrow is a great delicacy, and very strengthening. The fat can be used in many ways, and the horns converted into drinking-cups, powder-flasks, &e ; in a word, the whole of the buffalo is turned to account in the settler's housekeeping.

These animals are hunted in several ways. With an enduring, well-trained horse, you ride up to them and shoot them with pistols or a rifle, for a horse accustomed to this chase always keeps a short distance from the buffalo, and requires no guidance with the reins; but this mode of hunting can only be employed on the plains, for in the mountainous regions the buffalo has a great advantage in its sure footing over a horse that has to carry

a rider. In such regions, and in wooded districts, you stalk the animals, which is not difficult; and if you keep yourself concealed you may kill several with ease, as they are not startled by the mere report of a rifle. On the prairies, too, where the grass is rather high, you can creep up to them through it, and if it be not sufficiently tall to hide you, you make use of some large skin, such as a wolf's, and covered with this, crawl up within → range. This, however, is always a dangerous plan: for if you are noticed by a wounded buffalo, you run a great risk of being trampled to death by it. On these crawling hunts, I always had Trusty a short distance behind me, who moved through the grass quite as cautiously as myself, and when it was neces sary, I set him on, and had time to run to my horse, while Trusty attacked the buffalo and pinned it to the spot.

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I always preferred riding after buffaloes, for this is one of the most exciting modes of hunting I am acquainted with, as it demands much skill from the rider and agility and training on the part of the horse. Horses that have been used to the sport for any time. are extremely fond of it, and at the sight of the buffalo become so excited that there is a difficulty in holding them in. The revolver is the best weapon to use. great advantage with it of firing several shots without reloading. I always carried two in my belt, which gave twelve shots, and also two spare cylinders. I also had my double rifle with me, which lay unfastened between me and the saddle-cloth. The American revolvers are admirably made, and carry their bullets very accurately for a hundred yards; but at longer distances they cannot be depended on, as it is difficult to take aim with them. It requires considerable practice to kill a buffalo at a gallop, for you may send a dozen bullets into it, and yet not prevent it from continuing its clumsy-looking, though very rapid progress. The buffalo's heart lies very deep in the chest behind the shoulderblades; it can be easily missed through the eye being caught by the hump on the back; and besides, it requires very great practice to hit with a pistol when going at full speed. If you shoot the buffalo at the right spot, it drops at once, and frequently turns head over

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in spring, when it has changed its coat. At this season its head is adorned with long dark brown locks, and its hind-quarters are covered with shining black hair, So long as old tufts bleached by the sun are hanging about it, it is not in prime condition, and the experienced hunter never selects such a quarry.

On a spring morning-I need not add a fine one, for at this season the blue sky rarely deserts us for more than a few hours-I rode at daybreak down the river toward the mountains; a cold, refreshing breeze was blowing, which had an invigorating effect upon both men and animals. Czar was full of playfulness. He often pretended to kick at Trusty, his dearest friend, who was trotting by his side, shook his broad neck, and could hardly be held in. Trusty ran ahead, every now and then rolled in the tall grass, kicked up the earth behind him, and then looked up at me with a loud bark of delight. I, too, was in an excellent humour; the small birds-of-para- | dise, with their long black and white tails and crimson breasts, fluttered from bush to bush. The humming-birds darted past me like live coals, and suddenly stopped as if spell-bound in front of some flowers, whence they sucked the honey for a few seconds with their beaks, and then hummed off to another fragrant blossom. Countless vultures described their regular circles over my head; above them gleamed against the ultramarine sky the brilliant white plumage of a silver heron, or the splendid pink of a flamingo; whilst high up in ether the royal eagles were bathing in the sunshine. The prairie was more beautiful this day than I had ever seen it; it was adorned by every designation of bulbous plants, the prevailing flora in the spring.

Lost in admiration of these natural beauties, which words are powerless to describe, I reached the hilly ground near the mountain springs; and first learned from Czar's tugging at the bridle, and his repeated bounds, that I had come in sight of a herd of about forty buffaloes, that did not appear to notice me yet. Probably they were engaged with that portion of the beauties of nature which most interested them: for, at any rate, they ail had their huge shaggy heads buried in the

fresh young grass. I was never better in clined to have a jolly chase than on this day, and the same was the case with Czar and Trusty. I let loose the reins, drew a revolver, and dashed among the astounded herd, looking for a plump bull. Surprised and disturbed, these philosophers turned their heads towards the mountains, raised their tails erect, and started in their awkward gallop, with the exception of one old fellow, the very one I had selected for the attack. He looked after the fugitives for awhile, as if reproaching them with their cowardice; shook his wild shaggy mane several times, and then dashed furiously at me with his head down. I was so surprised at this unexpected attack that I did not fire, but turned my horse to fly. The buffalo pursued me some thousand yards, keeping rather close, while his companions halted, and seemed to be admiring the chivalric deed of their knight. At length he stopped, as he had convinced himself that he could not catch up to me, and stamped with his longhaired front legs till the dust flew up in a cloud around him. I turned my horse and raised my rifle, to make more sure of hitting the bull, as his determined conduct had imbued me with some degree of respect. I fired, and wounded him in the side a little too far back; at the same instant he dashed ahead again, but then thought better of it, and tried to rejoin the flying herd. I now set Trusty on him, who soon brought him at bay, and I gave him a bullet from the revolver. Again he rushed at me, and again fled. In this way. pursuing and pursued in turn, I had given him five bullets, when he left the herd in a perfect state of mania, and dashed after me. I made a short turn with my horse; the bull rushed past; I turned Czar again towards the buffalo; and as I passed, I put a bullet through his heart at the distance of three yards. The monster fell to the ground in a cloud of dust, and raised up a heap of loose sand which it stained with its dark blood.

To my surprise I noticed that Trusty did not come up to the fallen buffalo, but rushed past it, loudly barking, to the thicket at the springs, whence I saw an immense panther leap through the prickly plants. I galloped round the ponds and saw the royal brute making enormous leaps through the tall

ther the jaguar was really dead, as I did not wish to injure the beautiful skin by a second bullet unnecessarily, then walked up and found that the bullet had passed through the left eye into the brain. It had one of the handsomest skins I ever took: it is so large that I can quite wrap myself up in it, and now forms my bed coverlet. When I had finished skinning it and cut out the tusks with the small axe I always carried in a leathern case, I rode back to my buffalo, with the skin proudly hanging down on either side of my horse. On getting there I led Czar through the narrow entrance into the thicket, where I came upon a freshlykilled, large deer, one of whose legs was half eaten away. It was the last meal of the savage beast of prey, and I was surprised it had left its quarry. The noise of the buffalo and the horse galloping, Trusty's bass voice, and the crack of the revolver in such close vicinity, must have appeared dangerous to it, and it had fancied it would slip off unnoticed. The buffalo was very plump, and supplied Trusty and myself with an excellent dinner; for dessert I had the marrow-bones grilled on the fire, and split open with my axe. A little old brandy, mixed with some spring water, served for champagne: my sofa was the body of the deer, covered with the skin of its

prairie grass toward the mountains. Trusty
was not idle either, and was close behind it.
I spurred Czar, and kept rather near the
mountains, so as to cut off the fugitive's re-
treat and drive it farther out on the plains,
while my hunting-cry incessantly rang in his
ears. It had galloped about a mile, when we
got rather close to it; it altered its course
once more, and climbed up an old evergreen
live oak, among whose leafy branches it dis-
appeared. I called Trusty to heel, stopped
about fifty yards from the oak to reload my
right-hand barrel, and then rode slowly round,
looking for a gap in the foliage through which
to catch a glimpse of this most dangerous
animal. The leaves were very close, and I
had ridden nearly round, when I suddenly
saw its eyes glaring at me from one of the
main branches in the middle of the tree. I
must shoot it dead, or else it would be a very
risky enterprise; and Czar's breathing was
too violent for me to fire from his back with
any certainty. I cautiously dismounted, keep-
ing my eye on the panther, held a revolver in
my left hand, brought the head of my rifle to
bear right between the eyes of the king of
these solitudes, and fired. With a heavy
bump the panther fell from branch to branch,
and lay motionless on the ground. I kept
Trusty back, waited a few moments to see whe-assassin.

THE STORY OF A ROMANTIC LIFE. ALENTINE JANERAY DUVAL was pagne, in the year 1695. His father, a poor peasant, died when the child was but ten years old; and Duval was constrained to enter the service of a neighbouring farmer. He now kept poultry; but was quickly dismissed from his employment for some infantine misdemeanour. Determined, however, to prove no burden to his mother, who struggled hard to provide for her numerous family, young Valentine set out upon his wanderings. It was in the year 1709, and a severe winter had set in. The poor boy, suffering incredible privations, walked hither and thither, heedless of his destination, and ignorant of the surrounding country. In this manner, worn out by hunger, weariness, and pain, he would undoubtedly have perished; but a compassionate shepherd of Morgat carrying him to the place where he tended his

flock, nursed him during an attack of the Thus carefully watched by his humane protector, the boy recovered.

He now continued his solitary journeying. Turning eastward, in which direction, as he approached the sun, he believed he would escape the inclemency of the weather, the foot of the Vosges mountains was reached. There, nearly 150 miles from his native village, Duval engaged himself in the service of a farmer of Clezantaine, where he remained two years in the capacity of shepherd-boy. La Rochette then became his next destination. lonely hermitage, the boy discovered the recluse Palémon, who, struck with the intelligence of his observations and inquiries, offered him shelter, and the benefit of his instruction.

In the

Duval accepted the offer of his new benefactor with heartfelt demonstrations of thank

d

fulness. To the perusal of such books as the hermit possessed he now devoted himself with assiduity, until at length it was thought expedient that he should take up another abode. He was furnished with letters of recommenda

tion to the Superintendent of another Hermitage, at St. Anne's, Lunéville, where he was received with more than cordiality. A small herd of six cows was given up to his charge; but, besides attending to the business of his calling, Duval commenced a course of writing and arithmetic, and made great progress in these branches. Like our countryman Ferguson, his nights were employed in examining the heavens; his observatory being constructed at the summit of an oak-tree, and built of osiers, in the form of a stork's nest. A portion of Duval's time was devoted to the hunting of wild animals. With their skins he was wont to raise money for the purchase of charts and maps, whose intricacies, of course, became the objects of ardent and diligent study.

A fortunate accident aided materially these laudable attempts at self-education. "One day," says Craik, in his "Pursuit of Knowledge," "while pursuing his occupation, he was lucky enough to find a gold seal, which had been dropped by an English traveller of the name of Forster. Upon this gentleman coming to claim his property, Duval jestingly told him that he should not have the seal unless he could describe the armorial bearings on it in correct heraldic phrase. Forster, who was a lawyer, entered into conversation with the lad, and was so much struck with his information and intelligence, that he both supplied him with a number of books and maps, and instructed him in the manner of studying them." On another occasion, a stranger, finding him seated at the foot of a tree, apparently absorbed in the contemplation of a map before him, asked what he was about. "Studying geography," was the reply. "And whereabouts in the study may you be at present?" inquired the stranger. "I am seeking the way to Quebec," said Duval. "To Quebec? What to do?" "I wish to continue my studies in the university there," replied Duval. Whereupon the stranger, who belonged to the household of one of the Princes of Lorraine, so used his influence, that Duval was permitted to follow his natural bent, and was admitted to the Jesuits' College at Pont à Monsson.

His progress from this time was sure and rapid. In geography, history, and antiquities, he especially distinguished himself. Eager to acquire knowledge, and to distinguish himself in literary pursuits, he left no stone unturned in order to obtain materials. Thus, under the patronage of the Duke of Lorraine, Duval was enabled to visit Paris, at the close of the year 1718. Subsequently visiting the Low Countries and Holland, he was appointed, on his return, Professor of History in the High School at Lunéville.

Grateful for the benefits conferred upon him by his old patrons at St. Anne's, the emoluments of his office, and sundry presents from

affectionate and delighted pupils, were partially laid by for the building of a commodious and suitable habitation for them. In addition he purchased a small estate, whose produce was sufficient to yield them a respectable yearly income; and a certain number of acres was laid by as a nursery ground, for the benefit of the poor inhabitants of the surrounding villages.

On the death of Leopold, Duke of Lorraine, Duval accompanied his son and successor, afterwards the Emperor Francis I., to Florence. Here he became superintendent of the ducal library. The study of numismatics now engaged his attention, and he visited the majority of Italian cities, collecting as he went all the coins and medals procurable, and which were valuable on account of their rarity or antiquity. Summoned in 1748 to the Court of Vienna, Duval commenced the establishment of a cabinet of such coins, &c., and retained by imperial decree its inspectorship. A house was duly assigned him in an aristocratic quarter, near the palace; and, we are told, he was occasionally honoured by an invitation to the royal table.

Thus basking, as it were, in the smiles of Imperialism, Duval still retained his ancient simplicity. He indeed paid a visit to his native village, purchased the cottage in which his father had lived and died, and erected on its site, at his own expense, a suitable residence for the parish schoolmaster. He still kept up a correspondence with the gool fathers at Lunéville; and on one occasion, when paying a visit to his preceptor, Brother Marin, not finding his hut as comfortable as it might have been made, he left behind him a sum of money sufficient for its re-establishment.

66

A characteristic anecdote is told of Duval. One day, when leaving the Imperial presence, the Emperor stopped him. "Whither art thou going with such speed, good Duval?" "To hear La Gabrielli sing," was the reply. "She sings badly, however," said the royal critic. "I entreat your Majesty to speak in a lower tone." "Why so?" 66 Because," said Duval, "your Majesty should always be believed, and no one will credit you in what you have just said." Such was the freedom of intercourse existing between Kaiser and Professor.

In 1751, Duval was appointed sub-preceptor to the Prince Imperial, afterwards Joseph II. But in the following year his failing health rendered a change of air a thing of vital importance. He reached Paris, where he was received with the most flattering distinction; and on his return home, to Vienna, he resumed his customary employment and mode of living. Thus, in the enjoyment of a hearty and vigorous old age, Valentine Janeray Duval, reaping the rewards of an honourable and useful life, passed the remainder of his days.

He died on the 3rd of September, 1775, at the age of eighty-two. His life is not without a lesson, which our readers will do well to take to heart. W. D. A.

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Julklaps, or Yule-gifts, were so called from those who received them striking against the doors of the donors. To this day the Icelanders date the beginning of their year from Yule in consequence of ancient custom, which the laws of their country oblige them to retain. They even reckon a person's age by the Yules he has seen.

YULE CLOG,

BURNT ON CHRISTMAS-EVE.

Christmas-Day in the old church was always observed as the Sabbath-day, and, like that, preceded by an eve or vigil: hence our present Christmas-Eve. On the night of this eve, our ancestors were wont to light candles

of an

uncommon size, called Christmas candles, and lay a log of wood on the fire, illuminate the house. This custom is in some called a Yule-clog, or Christmas-block, to measure still kept up in the north of England. Grove, in his "Provincial Glossary," tells us that in farmhouses in the north the servants lay by a large knotty block for their Christmas fire; and during the time it lasts, they are entitled, by custom, to ale at their meals. "At Ripon, in Yorkshire, on ChristmasEve, the chandlers send large mould candles. and the coopers logs of wood, generally calle Yule-clogs, which are always used on Christmasse-eve; but should it be so large as not to be all burnt that night, which is frequently the case, the remains are kept till old Christ

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