Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: May 16, 2025
Basil took the case, passed the string over his shoulders, pushed the bag under the breast of his hunting-shirt, pressed his father's hand, and putting the spur to his horse rode briskly off. Lucien saluted his father with a kiss, waved his hand gracefully to Hugot, and followed.
He looked quite crest-fallen; and his great moustachios appeared bleached and drooping. "You have not got it?" interrogated the Colonel, in a faltering voice. "No, Colonel," muttered Hugot, in reply. "You tried everywhere?" "Everywhere." "You advertised in the papers?" "In all the papers, monsieur." "You offered a high price?" "I did. It was to no purpose.
They could not think of taking Hugot their father would require Hugot at home Hugot would be of no use to them, they said. They would do as well, if not better, without him. The truth was, that these ambitious young hunters did not wish to be robbed of any part of the credit of their enterprise which they knew would be the case if Hugot were to accompany them.
He thought of the triumph he would obtain by sending such a rare contribution to the great museum of Europe. If ever, my young reader, you should become a naturalist, you will comprehend how strong this feeling may be; and with our hunter-naturalist it was so. At first he proposed that Hugot should accompany them. This the boys would not hear of, and all three stoutly opposed it.
Without waiting for further orders, Hugot started on his errand. He was a brisk walker, Hugot; and was back again in a trice. He brought with him a letter of goodly size and appearance. "From Prince Lucien!" cried Francois, who was sure to have the first word in everything. "It is from the Prince, papa; I know the seal."
There Hugot was at home, for he could compound an omelette, fricassee a chicken, or dress a canard aux olives, with Monsieur Soyer himself. But Hugot although for many years he had accompanied his old and young masters in the chase had no taste whatever for hunting. He had a wholesome dread of bears and panthers, and as to Indians ... Ha! Indians!
Francois is a favourite with everybody, but a great pest to Hugot, upon whom he plays numerous tricks. While the naturalist and his family were thus engaged, a loud booming noise was heard at some distance off, down the river. It somewhat resembled the regular firing of great guns, though the explosions sounded softer and more hollow.
Well, between hunting, and fishing, and stuffing his birds, and preserving the skins of rare quadrupeds, and planting and pruning his trees, and teaching his boys, and training his dogs and horses, Landi was far from being idle. His boys, of course, assisted him in these occupations, as far as they were able. But he had another assistant Hugot. Who was Hugot?
The Colonel was a man of simple habits. He had learned these when a soldier, and he brought up his sons to live like himself. He ate plain food, drank only water, and slept upon a camp-bed with a buffalo-robe and a blanket. A laundress in Point Coupee kept the linen clean; and Hugot was not near so busy with house affairs as you might suppose.
It was not often that you could see the naturalist without also seeing Hugot's great moustachios close by his elbow. It would have killed Hugot to have been separated for any length of time from his old colonel. Of course Hugot accompanied his master in all his hunting expeditions. So, too, did the boys, as soon as they were able to sit upon a horse.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking