During the months of June, July, and August, the great heats in our forests are suffocating, and the woodcock, which during the livelong day has been squatting under some mossy root, is impressed with the idea that a bathe in a clear pool of cold fresh water would be very conducive to its health. Thus directly the sun, red as a shot which leaves the furnace, falls below the horizon, and that the clouds surrounding the spot where it disappears, at first lurid and bright like fire, then yellow like a sea of gold, become cool, pale, and at length sink into more sober hues, the woodcock, which waits only for this moment to open its wings and promenade the neighbourhood, comes forth and commences a study of the winds. Guided by instinct, and by the fresh currents of air that float unseen in the atmosphere, she follows the sweet upland breezes, and soon arrives at the spring or piece of water of which she is in search.

The Mares N, in which the woodcock more especially loves to take a bath, are almost as difficult to find as the one that I discovered, for they are hidden in the depths of the forest; like it, also, they are for the most part small, encircled by the thick foliage of the surrounding trees, and consequently very dark; and the more this is the case, the more solitary they are, and therefore the more sought after by this bird. A woodcock never bathes in the Mare N; for to them resort one after another all the large game, or those N, as these are too open. The woodcocks are discreet and bashful, and, like the wives of the Sultan, love a retired bath-room, where they may disport themselves on banks ever fresh and green, perfumed with wild flowers, and immerse their fair persons in pellucid waters that have never been tainted with a drop of blood, or covered with feathers torn from the victim of the sportsman’s gun. Thus it is therefore that the Mares frequented by the woodcock are so entirely hidden by the thick and falling branches, so enveloped in deep shade, that you must have eyes made on purpose to be able to discover their large brown bodies plunging in the crystal water and wading amongst the flags. In aid of the sportsman, now as in the spring, a little fly comes buzzing and wheeling about in the air to warn the sportsman of the arrival of the birds, which, directly the moon’s white horn is seen glancing between the trees, arrive flapping their wings in small parties of two and three at a time. One afternoon, when the wind blew soft, and the sun was refulgent in the azure above, we proposed an excursion in the forest to our friend the banker, who was now quite convalescent.

“What! do you wish to give me up to the beasts?” cried he, jumping up from his seat.

“Not at all, dear sir, pray don’t be alarmed; we are merely desirous of making you acquainted with the most innocent, the least dangerous sport of the châsse a l’affut,” and having convinced him, we started. Everything went well as far as the entrance to the forest; but there the millionnaire, little accustomed to walk over the stumps of underwood and amongst the thorns, he began to drop into the rear, stopping every now and then to rest against some tree, or disentangle his legs from some yards of bramble, puffing and blowing, and ejaculating Oh’s! and Ha’s! by dozens.

“Courage! sir,” we said, “courage! we shall arrive too late; one brisk half-hour’s walk, and we are at our posts.”

“Upon my word, gentlemen, you are really considerate; I walk, I suspect, quite as fast as you. But” and how was he delighted to find an excuse for a halt “you spoke of a châsse a l’affut, hiding for what I should like to know for bears, panthers, or crocodiles? is it this kind of game we are to watch for?”

“Oh! no for woodcocks.”

“Woodcocks! what, have you made me walk since the morning through perfect beds of briars and over miles of large stones, escalade the mountains, descend precipices, and brought me through water-courses and dark ravines, to kill a few woodcocks?”

“Would you prefer confronting a wild boar?”

“Certainly,” said the puffing convalescent; “if there was no chance of danger, I should infinitely prefer killing a boar.”

“For to-day this is impossible.”

“Why so?”

“Why, in the first place, there are no boars in this wood, and it is too late to take you to those which they frequent.”

“Then we shall find only woodcocks in the place we are going to?”

“Nothing else; at least during the half-hour we shall remain.”

“And if we were to remain more than half an hour?”

“Oh! then we might perhaps by accident see a roebuck perhaps a hungry wolf.”

“A hungry wolf! the deuce! And if there should come by chance a wolf to the Mare when I shall be all alone, what must I do?”

“Why kill it, to be sure.”

“To be sure, why of course I should kill the ferocious animal,” and the banker, though smacking his fingers and whistling as if quite unconcerned, looked very grave. Continuing our walk, we arrived at the Mares.

“Goodness,” said my companion, “how dark it is here,” looking into each hut that was shown him. “Misericorde! if I were to ensconce myself in this leafy cabin, this gloomy sombre hole, I should fancy myself seated at the bottom of a blacking-bottle I respectfully decline the honour of occupying the hut.”

“Very well, let us proceed to another,” we exclaimed. But the second was pronounced more lugubrious and melancholy-looking than the first, and the third not more agreeable than the preceding one.

“It is no longer a matter of doubt,” said the Parisian; “you are a family of owls. What! place myself in these holes, these mouse-traps, in these tumuli of leaves, where the archfiend himself, habituated to every kind of darkness, could not distinguish anything? thank you, gentlemen. As to you, you can see clear; but by the great telescope of the observatory, if I were to get into one of these rustic ovens, I should not in five minutes be able to distinguish the end of my nose I should not be able to find my way to my breeches-pocket.”

“But, my dear sir,” said I to him, when alone, for my two friends were now snugly seated in the rejected huts, “you are very difficult to please, and it becomes embarrassing, for these cabins are all alike; when you have seen one you have seen a dozen. Now this, believe me, is a capital one; come, seat yourself here.”

“I am much obliged to you, not that one; for this pool of water in particular has something very sinister about it; the spot feels raw, and has an unpleasant wolfish air.”

What was to be done? While debating thus, I remembered that at some little distance from the place where we then were, stood two large farms, Les Fermes des Amandiers, and that, at a distance of half a mile beyond them, there was a magnificent Mare, in the style, it is true, of Mare N, large and open, and yet it would be as useless to wait for woodcocks there as it would be to hope to catch a trout in the basins of Trafalgar-square. Such a spot seemed to me admirably calculated for the banker; I resolved, therefore, to conduct him to it.

“If this hut does not please you,” said I, “follow me, and quickly.”

“Where are you going to take me?”

“Oh! do not alarm yourself, I have just thought of a place that will suit you exactly: a charming spot, delightfully scented by a thicket of honeysuckles; but you must be on the alert. See, the sun is nearly below the summit of the tallest oaks we shall not have more than one hour of daylight; and I must return here.”

When we arrived at the Mare of which I was in search, the immediate neighbourhood of it was already silent and deserted. “Heavens!” said the enchanted banker, “what a delightful spot! Quick! where shall I place myself? Let us look for the hut ha! here it is, but half in ruins;” for it had not, in all probability, been occupied three times in the last three years; we were obliged therefore to cut some branches, and roughly repair it; and the banker, having crept into the interior, like a sweep up a chimney, requested to have his last instructions.

“Well, when night has nearly closed in,” said I, laughing under my moustache, “be on the qui vive. The woodcocks will be here, but move not; be like a statue for a few minutes; let them approach let them come, fly and whirl, and look about them; then, when reassured by your silence, they will fall into the shallow water, paddle in the grass, and plunging throw their legs into the air. At that moment they are yours. Take your time and a deliberate aim, and miss them not. The sport over, remain where you are, and on our return we will join you.”

“All you say is very clear and very pretty,” replied the banker; “but I feel already a horrid cramp in my left leg; and if I am to remain crumpled up in this hut, like a Turk taking his coffee, or like a monkey gnawing an apple, when you come for me I shall have lost the use of my limbs.”

“Oh! if that is likely to be your fate, walk about stretch your legs; you have yet twenty minutes before dark. Adieu, sir, adieu; and good luck attend you; for myself, I must be off to my post.” But I had gone scarcely thirty yards when he shouted after me, “Oh! Henri my dear young friend come back. Here! see, a pack of wolves! What do I say? no; a whole family of bears has passed this way! Look! the border of the Mare is ploughed up by the feet of these savage brutes.”

“Bears, sir! those marks are merely the trampling of the shepherds’ dogs.”

“Shepherds’ dogs! Stoop down look closer; do you mean to tell me that the shepherds’ dogs have made these prints of cloven feet in the mud?”

“No! those are holes made by the young calves from some neighbouring farm, that came to drink here,” I replied, repressing a laugh.

“Nonsense! Henri; calves, indeed! they are the marks of buffaloes and wild boars. You cannot deceive me; for I know something about such things. Why, this Mare is, I have no doubt, the rendezvous of all the beasts of the forest for ten miles round. Thank you, I don’t intend to remain here.”

“Not remain! why you will, if you are correct, have far better fun than we shall. Come, get into the hut.”

“Remain with me, and divide the honour of the sport.”

“Me? no: I thank you, adieu! and keep your eyes about you.”

“Halloo! Henri, come back. By the spectacles of my grandmother, what will become of me? I am a fool! I have lost my sight I have forgot my eye-glass.”

“Try to do without it.”

“Impossible! it is useless without an eye-glass I cannot see a yard before me; I shall most certainly leave this Mare. I shall be off with you.”

“My dear sir,” said I to him, “you must know and feel that if I thought there was the most remote chance of danger, I would not leave you alone; you really have nothing to fear if you come with me, you will be dreadfully in the way, and without doing the least possible good. The huts are so very small, that there is only sufficient room for one: we shall kill nothing, and be laughed at into the bargain.”

“But these terrible quadrupeds; what if they should come and devour me when you are gone?”

“I tell you you have nothing to fear.”

“Very well, then I will believe you; after all, I am not a coward, but a man: a royal tiger would not frighten me, and in spite of these sombre looking trees waving to and fro, this silence, and the solitary look of the place, I remain; yes, by Jupiter, I remain; only barricade me in the rear, cut some thick branches, palisade me well round there, now I think you may leave me, I require nothing more and yet one word; if I were in danger, do you think you would hear me if I called?”

“Certainly, a whisper may almost be heard in the forest at night the trees conduct the slightest sound.”

“Well, then, give me a shake of your hand. Adieu.”

“Adieu, sir; be patient, and, above all, wait for our return.”

“Let me alone for that; never fear my leaving this hut alone.”

“And cover your head well, for nothing is so likely to give one cold as the night air rushing into the ears.”

“And mind, now, don’t pray forget me. If you are not here in three-quarters of an hour, I shall fire signals of distress, and make the forest ring again with my malédictions.”

But without waiting to hear anything further, I was off, and soon reached my post. The sport, as usual, was pretty good; my friends and myself killed four couple of woodcocks, and the affût over, we turned our steps towards the banker’s cabin. No report of a gun had yet been heard in his direction, but suddenly, and when we were scarcely five hundred paces from the hut, and I was on the point of announcing our arrival by a shrill whistle two barrels were discharged one after the other then followed a long and heavy groan, and after that a cry of distress. In a few seconds we bounded to the spot, and found our friend stretched on the grass outside his hut, without his hat, his eyes staring wildly about him, and his hair in disorder. He was trembling with emotion, and pointed to a black animal, half hid in the water and the rushes, which seemed very large, and was rolling from side to side in the agonies of approaching death. Fright, downright fright, had tied the banker’s tongue; and while he is collecting his senses, allow me to tell you, good reader, what had occurred in our absence.

Dumb and motionless, as directed, he had, during half an hour, waited anxiously for the woodcocks; but the woodcocks had for a very long time forgotten the road to this Mare; not one came there was no sport for him. He had already fancied he heard us returning in the distance, and that his cramped legs would be set at liberty, and his twisted body again assume the perpendicular, when all at once a cold perspiration stood upon his brow, terror seized him; for behind, nay, almost close to him, he heard advancing the heavy tramp and loud breathing of a wild beast, and before he had time to observe what kind of an animal it was, the brute passed so close to the hut that he pressed it down, and rushed on to the Mare. More dead than alive, the banker lay half-squeezed in a corner of his cabin, and panting for breath, dared scarcely move. After a few minutes, however, he hazarded a careful glance outside, and not twenty paces from him saw the immense quadruped bathing, and rolling himself quietly in the water.

“It is a gigantic boar,” said he to himself, “as large as a horse, and as old as Methuselah no doubt the patriarch of the forest what tusks he must have! Let us observe.” And with a courage which did him credit, he, after some time, suppressed his fear, and felt in the pocket of his game-bag for two balls, which, with trembling hands, he slipped into his gun. After this he again looked out, and reconnoitred the movements of the enemy; but so great was the obscurity, that he could discover nothing unless, indeed, it was a dark mass which walked and jumped hither and thither, rolled, frolicked, and rejoiced in his refreshing bath. The heart of the Parisian was greatly agitated, and beat as if it would split his flannel waistcoat; nevertheless, he took good and deliberate aim at the black object in front, and though exceedingly terrified, he cocked his gun, and in a perfect fever of excitement let fly both barrels, falling immediately backwards in a corner of his hut, perfectly bewildered with his own courage. A deep groan followed, and at the end of a few minutes of agony and suspense, our friend, seeing no tiger in the act of springing upon him, hazarded another look, when he still heard the creature moaning, and groaning, and floundering in the water.

The fact was, he had by a miracle, and without seeing, done that which he never could have done at mid-day, his two balls had perforated the animal’s head and neck. Observing the monster raising itself with difficulty, and endeavouring to withdraw its legs from the sticky mud in which they were fixed, the courage of despair rushed into his heart he left the hut, upsetting everything in his way, and precipitated himself upon his adversary with a view of despatching him with the butt end of his gun, or making him retreat further into the Mare, when imagine his consternation and fear, at the very moment his uplifted arm was stretched out, like Jupiter’s in the act of hurling a thunderbolt, the animal raised himself on his haunches, looked him full in the face, opened two enormous jaws, put up two very long ears, and instead of a roar full of rage and ferocity, sent forth the most agonizing and dolorous bray that was ever heard from the throat of any ass, French, English, or Spanish! Yes! it was an ass the banker had mortally wounded; an unfortunate ass, which, driven by thirst and the heat of the weather, had left his shed at the neighbouring farm-house, to quench it and refresh himself with a bath.

Surprise, shame, horror, and confusion began to dance a polka in the banker’s brain, and made him utter the hoarse cry which we had heard. While we were yet gazing at each other the poor creature, by a last effort, raised his bleeding head once more above the water, and collecting all the strength he had left, scrambled from the Mare, gave a half-suffocating and plaintive bray, and casting a look full of reproach upon the gasping banker, which seemed to say, “I die, but I forgive you,” fell dead at our feet.

A convulsion of laughter from the party, now all assembled, followed; even the birds, awakened from their slumbers, began to sing and partake of the general hilarity.

“Halloo! Mr. Three per Cent.,” said one, “this is what you call sporting, is it killing starved woodcocks? Fie! sir.”

“You are three infamous vagabonds,” replied the Parisian, catching his breath, and picking up his hat.

“What! sir.”

“Why, you are a trinity of rascals, I repeat.”

“Why, what’s the matter?”

“Abominable hypocrites, I say; this is a piece of acting, a trick which you have kindly put upon me this ass was driven here by you, or by some one at your suggestion; I see clearly how it is.”

“See clearly, do you? it is a pity, then, you did not a few minutes ago.”

“It is an infernal plot, I say; think you that I came into this wretched country of forests to kill donkeys?”

“Well! but whose fault is it, sir; why did you not bring your eye-glass?”

“My eye-glass; I don’t require one, gentlemen, to enable me to see that you have made a fool of me.”

“My dear sir, reflect for a moment.”

“No, gentlemen, I feel indignant at the paltry joke you have played upon me you knew that my sight was weak, and on that infirmity you have practised a very shameful trick; you have said to yourselves, ’Send an ass to this Parisian, he will no doubt take it for a wild boar.’ Be off, gentlemen, depart; let me have a clear horizon, or I shall proceed to extremity.”

“Monsieur lé Banquier, if you do not become a little more reasonable, we shall leave you to your reflections and to yourself, and pretty pickings you will be for the wolves.”

“So much the better; I wish to remain, I desire it; and after the gross insult you have offered me, I shall certainly not be beholden to you as a guide, or return to the town in your company.” And he kicked the dead carcass before him in his rage.

“But, Monsieur lé Banquier, the night is getting chilly and damp, and remember you are only just convalescent; come, let us be off.”

“Gentlemen, I have already told you I shall not accompany you.”

“Why, this is madness, sir.”

“Anything you please; but thus it shall be. I will not leave this wood until I have killed a wolf; yes, I must have a wolf; it is only in the blood of a wolf that I can wash out the insult I have received; and I will remain in the forest eight days, fifteen, three months, if necessary. I will live on acorns, ants, toad’s eggs, and roots, but by the soul of that stupid brute that lays there,” and he gave the deceased ass a second kick, “I will not budge until I have killed a wolf: enable me to slaughter a wolf, and I will follow you; nay, what is more, forgive you.”

“Monsieur lé Banquier, let us in the first place tie a stone round the neck of this unfortunate animal, and throw his body into the Mare, and then, as we are the only witnesses of this adventure, we swear that we will never divulge it to any one, or make the slightest allusion to it; and, as we are men of honour, you will of course believe us; the secret shall be kept inviolable. On the other hand, as we are to a certain extent responsible for your health, and as your remaining here any longer in this cold wind will seriously endanger it, do not feel discomposed if we defer to another day the pleasure of seeing you kill a wolf, and request you will accompany us back to the chateau.”

With various flattering speeches and consoling words, to heal his mortification, we at length succeeded in bringing him away with us; many a laugh had we on our road home, and many were the promises given that we would never reveal the events of the evening. But, alas! the secret came out on the following day, for before twelve o’clock had struck, a peasant came knocking at the door, howling, crying, bawling like a blind beggar, and demanding who had killed his ass. His importunity succeeded; the murderer was brought to light, the banker cheerfully paid for his shot, and laughed heartily at the adventure; but in spite of his apparent philosophy, I remarked that from that moment he never met an ass that he did not turn away his head; and this is the kind of game that one finds in Mare N.