mountain-girdled basin, ships of large burthen
might lie afloat within a stone's throw of the shore--the slopes of the
wood-covered knolls, here brown, or golden, and interspersed with the
rich crimson of the faded maples, there verdant with the evergreen
leaves of the pine and cedar--and the far azure summits of the most
distant peaks, all steeped in the serene and glowing sunshine of an
October morning.

For hours we lay there, our little vessel floating as the occasional
breath of a sudden breeze, curling the lake into sparkling wavelets,
chose to direct our course, smoking our cigars, and chatting cozily, and
now and then pulling up a great broad-backed yellow bass, whose flapping
would for a time disturb the peaceful silence, which reigned over wood,
and dale, and water, quite unbroken save by the chance clamor of a
passing crow; yet not a sound betokening the approach of our drivers had
reached our ears.

Suddenly, when the sun had long passed his meridian height, and was
declining rapidly toward the horizon, the full round shot of a musket
rang from the mountain top, followed immediately by a sharp yell, and in
an instant the whole basin of the lake was filled with the harmonious
discord of the hounds.

I could distinguish on the moment the clear sharp challenge of Harry's
high-bred foxhounds, the deep bass voices of the Southern dogs, and the
untamable and cur-like yelping of the dogs which the Teachmans had taken
with them.

Ten minutes passed full of anxiety, almost of fear.

We knew not as yet whither to turn our boat's head, for every second the
course of the hounds seemed to vary, at one instant they would appear to
be rushing directly down to us, and the next instant they would turn as
though they were going up the hill again. Meantime our beaters were not
idle--their stirring shouts, serving alike to animate the hounds, and to
force the deer to water, made rock and wood reply in cheery echoes; but,
to my wonder, I caught not for a long time one note of Harry's gladsome
voice.

At length, as I strained my eyes against the broad hill-side, gilt by
the rays of the declining sun, I caught a glimpse of his form running at
a tremendous pace, bounding over stock and stone, and plunging through
dense thickets, on a portion of the declivity where the tall trees had a
few years before been destroyed by accidental fire.

At this moment the hounds were running, to judge from their tongues,
parallel to the l