Bennett, Emerson - Prairie Flower 02

by Leni-Leoti or, Adventures In The Far West (lit)

  CHAPTER III.

  A RECKLESS RIDE—LUDICROUS APPEARANCE OF TEDDY—KILL A BUCK—INDIANS— FRIENDLY SIGNS—CLOSE QUARTERS—A TALK—GIVE THEM TOBACCO—TREACHERY— DEATH OF THE TRAITOR—PURSUE OUR COURSE.

  With the mind completely engrossed, the body often acts mechanically, or by instinct, and performs, without our knowledge at the time, exactly what reason would have dictated; and when some trifling circumstance recalls us to ourself, we arouse as from a dream, and are surprised at what has been accomplished during our brief alienation. So was it with myself in the present instance. On, on I sped as if riding for life, my hand firmly upon the rein, guiding unerringly my high-mettled beast, and yet unconscious of anything external, with thoughts wild and painful rushing through my brain. How long or far I had ridden thus, I do not exactly know; though miles now lay between me and Oregon city; nor how much longer I should have continued at the same break-neck speed, had my horse not stumbled and thus broken the monotony of a steady ride, by unseating and nearly throwing me over his head. Recovering my position, and reining my steed to a halt, I found him covered with foam, and very much blown from his late run; and that I was upon a narrow upland prairie, which stretched away before me for several miles, fringed on either hand, at no great distance, with a beautiful wood. "Where am I!" was my first involuntary exclamation—"how did I get here with a whole neck? and where is Teddy?" The last question found a more ready answer than either of the preceding, in a shout from the veritable Teddy O'Lagherty himself. I looked behind and beheld him coming as if on a race with death for the last half hour of his existence. His appearance was not a little ludicrous. His body was bent forward at an angle of fortyfive degrees, so as to allow him to grasp the mane of the beast,—his only hope— his feet having slipped from the stirrups which were dangling against the animal's flanks, and serving the purpose of spurs— while his hat, for security, being held in his teeth, smothered the shouts he was making to attract my attention. Add to this, that the horse had no guide but his own will, that at every spring Teddy bounced from the saddle to the imminent danger of his neck, and greatly to the aid of his digestive organs, and an idea of the discomfiture of the poor fellow may be formed, as his horse dashed up along side of mine, and came to a dead halt. It is said there is but one short step from the sublime to the ridiculous, and I certainly felt the force of the proverb on the present occasion. I had been half mad with distracting thoughts; but everything was now forgotten, and I burst forth in a roar of laughter, such as I am certain had never startled those solitudes before. "Be howly jabers!" cried Teddy, regaining an upright position, with a face the hue of a boiled lobster, "is ye mad now, ye divil—beg pardon!—your honor I maan. Howly jabers! what a ride! Och! I'm done for—claan murthered intirely—all pumice from me toes upward, barring me body and head-piece, jist." "Why, Teddy," returned I, as soon as I could get calm enough to command my voice, "what new feature of horsemanship is this you have adopted? I am sure you would make your fortune in any circus, with such a heroic display of your animal capacities." "Ah! ye may laugh and be d—plased to yees; but it's me mother's own son as feels more as crying, so it is. Fortune, is it, ye mintioned! Be howly St. Patrick's birthday in the morning! it's not mesilf that'ud do the likes agin for twinty on 'em. Och! I'm killed intirely—all barring the braathing, as lingers still." "Well, well, Teddy, I trust you will not have to repeat it," pursued I laughing. "But come—where do you think we are?" "Think, is it? Ye ask me to think? Sure, divil of a think I 'av in me now. I lift it all on the road, that was no road at all, but the worst traveled counthry I iver put eyes on. We may be among the Hindoo heathen, for all me knows conthrawise; for not a blissed thing did I sae on the journey, but r-rocks, traas and stumps, and the divil knows what all, and thim a going so fast I's could'nt git time to say good-by to 'em." To the best of my judgment, we had come about five miles, in a direction due east. Far in the distance before me, I now beheld the lofty, snow-crowned peak of Mount Hood; and toward this, without farther delay, we bent our steps, at a pace strongly contrasting the speed which had borne us hither. "Why did you not call to me, when you saw me riding at a rate so fearful?" I inquired, as I rode along at a brisk trot. "Call, is it?" replied Teddy. "Faith! jist ax me lungs if I did'nt call, till me breath quit coming for the strain upon'em." "And so you could not make me hear, eh?" "Make the dead hear! Och! I might as well 'av called to a graveyard, barring the looks of the thing. Was ye mad, your honor?" "O no, Teddy; only a little excited at parting with my friends." "Ah! thim same parthings is mighty har-r-d, now, so they is," rejoined Teddy, with a sigh. "So you can speak from experience, eh?" "Be me troth, can I, now; and so can Molly Stubbs, the swaat crathur, that she is." "Did it break her heart, Teddy?" "It's not asy for me to say, your honor; but it broke her gridiron, and the ounly one she had at that, poor dear!" "Her gridiron!" I exclaimed, struggling to repress my risible faculties, and keep a grave face, for I saw Teddy was in sober earnest, and apparently totally unaware there was anything ludicrous in his remark. "How did it affect the gridiron, Teddy?" "Why, ye sae now, she was jist holding it betwaan her two fingers, and fixing for a fry maybe, whin up I comes, and tapping her under the chin, by raason of our ould acquaintance, I sez: "'It's a blissed day I saw ye first, my darling.' "'That it was, Misther O'Lagherty,' see she. "'I wish that first maating could last foriver,' sez I. "'And so do I,' sez she. "'But it wo'nt,' sez I; and thin sighed, and she axed me what was the mather. "'Oh! worra! worra!' I sez; 'it' about to part we is, Molly, dear.' "'Ye do'nt say the likes,' sez she; and thin down come the gridiron, as if the Ould Scratch was a riding it, smash upon the stone harth, and into my arms pitched Molly, wid a flood of tears that made me look wathery for a long occasion. "Now it's not what we did afterwards I'm going to till at all, at all; but while we both come sensible, our eyes besaw the gridiron all broke, and not wort a ha'-pence. Molly cried, she did, and I give her a month's wages to ase her conscience Musha, now, but parthings is har-r-rd they is." In this and like manner I managed to relieve my mind of many gloomy thoughts which otherwise must have depressed it I had parted the second time with Lilian for a journey equally as full of peril as the first, and, if anything, of a more indefinite character. I was going in search of my lost friend, it is true; but what little chance had I, I thought, when I came to look at it soberly, of finding him, even if alive. I might travel thousands on thousands of miles—be months, even years, on the search—and yet be no nearer revealing his locality than when I set out. If living, it was a mere chance we should ever meet again; and nothing, perhaps, but a kind Providence could bring us together. As may be inferred, when I quitted my friends in Oregon City, I had no definite plan arranged; and now that I was really on the journey, the question naturally arose as to what I should do, how firs t to proceed, and where to begin. I had resolved on engaging assistance, but where was this to be found? For some time I puzzled my own brain with the matter, and then referred it to Teddy. Though brought up in an humble sphere of life, with very little education, Teddy was nevertheless a keen, shrewd observer, and of excellent judgment in matters coming within the range of his intellect and experience; and accordingly I relied much upon his advice. Having heard the case fully stated, with the dignified gravity of a judge, and asked several pertinent questions, he replied, that our best course, in his humble opinion, was to continue our present route as far as Fort Hall, where we would be likely to augment our number to our satisfaction, and could then proceed in a southerly direction and be guided by succeeding events. As this tallied exactly with my own views, the plan was quickly adopted, and I rode forward with great mental relief, that I now had a fixed purpose, whether right or wrong. For several miles our course lay over the upland prairie I have mentioned, and then the ground changed and became more rolling, which in turn gave place to hills, sometimes sparsely and sometimes densely wooded, interspersed with rocks, gullies, and deep ravines, that greatly impeded our progress. We halted to noon in a little valley, through which, with a roari
ng sound over its rocky bed, dashed a bright stream of pure water, on whose banks grew rich, green grass, of such luxuriance as to satisfy the appetites of our animals in a very short time. While partaking of some plain food, of which we had a small store, we amused ourselves by overhauling our rifles, examining their priming, as well as our other weapons and ammunition, and seeing that everything was in proper condition to meet danger. Scarcely was this over, when in a whisper Teddy called my attention to a fine, fat buck, which was trotting along within rifle shot. Quick as thought, I drew up my piece and fired. The animal instantly bounded forward a short distance, reeled, and fell over upon its side. The next moment we were on our way to examine the carcass, and take from it the most suitable portions for our wants. We had scarcely proceeded twenty paces, when Teddy grasping my arm, exclaimed: "Injins, be jabers!" And sure enough, just issuing from a clump of bushes on the opposite side of the valley, distant less than two hundred yards, were six half-naked savages, armed, two of them with rifles or muskets, and the others with bows and arrows. As it was impossible to divine their intentions, only by their acts, and as they made straight toward us, I snatched Teddy's rifle from his hands, and ordering him to load mine as quick as possible, raised it to my shoulder, determined, should they prove hostile, to sell my life dearly, and die, if I must, with the satisfaction of having done my duty in self-defence. Perceiving my movement, they came to a halt, and made me friendly signs, by extending their open hands and then placing them on their hearts. Dropping the muzzle of my rifle, I did the same, and then waited for them to come up, though, it must be confessed, with not the most faith imaginable in their amicable professions. However, I kept well on my guard, and by the time they had shortened the firstmentioned distance between us by a hundred paces, Teddy coolly announced that two bullets were at their service, at any moment they might choose. Ere they joined us, I had made them out by their costume and paint, to belong to the Chinnook tribe, whose grounds lie due north of Oregon city, on the opposite side of the Columbia river. I had frequently seen more or less of them in the village; and had, in fact, purchased the horse, mentioned as being stolen, from one of their tribe; so that I now feared less a design upon my life than upon my property. The party in question were all inferior beings, both in size and appearance; but one seemed superior to the others, and possessed of command. He approached me in advance of his companions, and held out his hand, which I accepted and shook in a friendly manner. He next proceeded to Teddy, and each in turn followed his example. When all had done, the chief addressed me in broken English: "Where you come?" "The village, yonder," I replied, pointing with my finger toward Oregon city. "Where go?" "Away beyond the mountains;" and I pointed eastward. "Good muskee (musket) got?" I nodded in the affirmative. "Good hoss got?" I nodded again. "Good present got, eh? poor Injin, eh?" "I have nothing but some tobacco I can spare," I answered, of which I still had a pretty good supply. "Ugh! bacco good," rejoined the chief, with a smile. This was in my sack on my horse, and I was not sorry of an excuse to get to him without showing myself suspicious of my new acquaintances; for I had noticed many a wistful glance cast in that direction, and I feared lest, presuming on our weakness, they might think proper to take our animals by a coup de main, and leave us to make the best of it. Accordingly, I informed the savage where the article was, and that I must go alone and get it. "Why me no go?" he asked. "Then your followers must stay beind." "Why dey no go?" he inquired, a little angrily as I thought. "Because I shall not permit it," I replied, decisively. "Ugh! we so—you so," he rejoined, holding up first six and then two fingers, to indicate the number of each party. "We strong—you weak, we go, eh?" and he made a step forward. In an instant the muzzle of my rifle was pointed at his breast, and my finger on the trigger, a movement imitated by Teddy, who quickly covered another. "Another step, chief," I said, "and you are a dead man," "Back, ye divils—ye dirthy blaggards! d'ye hear the gintleman spaking to yees now?" shouted Teddy. This peremptory decision had a salutary effect upon the white-livered knaves, who instantly shrank cowering back, the chief at once exclaiming, in a deprecating tone: "No shoot. We no go. You go." Fearing treachery, we instantly started for our horses, keeping our faces to our foes, and our rifles leveled, prepared for the worst. Having secured a few plugs of the desired article, we both mounted and returned to the savages, among whom I made an immediate distribution. The chief thanked me, and said they would now go home. Accordingly, the whole party set off in one direction, and we in another, rifles in hand. We had scarcely gone twenty paces, when crack went a musket behind us, and a ball whizzed over my head. "The treacherous scoundrel!" I exclaimed; and wheeling my horse as I spoke, I beheld the whole six running and dodging for their lives. Singling out the villain that had fired at us, I drew up my rifle and pulled trigger. The next moment he lay howling in the dust, deserted by his cowardly friends, whose speed seemed greatly accelerated by this ever. Teddy would have gone back for his scalp, but this I would not permit, both on account of its barbarity, and that by delay we might encounter another party. Setting spurs to our horses, therefore, we dashed rapidly away, leaving our game and foes behind us, and congratulating ourselves upon our providential escape. For the rest of the day our progress was by no means slow, though the traveling at times most execrable. The sun was already throwing a long shade to the east-ward, when, ascending a rough, stone ridge, which we had been forced to do circuitously, we beheld below us a beautiful plain of miles in length and breadth along the eastern portion of which towere the lofty Cascade mountains, with the ever lasting snow-crowned Mount Hood rising grandly above all, till lost beyond the clouds, glittering like a pinnacle of burnished silver in the rays of the sinking sun. It was a sublime and beautiful scene for the painter and poet; and for many minutes I paused and gazed upon it with feelings of reverence and awe for the great Author of a work so stupendous. A similar feeling must have possessed Teddy for he instantly crossed himself and repeated the pater-noster. Descending to the base of the hill, we found a suitable place and encamped. Though greatly fatigued, I did not rest well; and either my thoughts, or the dismal howl of surrounding wolves, or both, combined with other circumstances, kept me awake most of the night.

  CHAPTER IV.

  PASS MOUNT HOOD AT THE CASCADES— ARRIVE AT FORT WALLA-WALLA—ENLIST A FRENCH VOYAGEUR—FRENCH AND IRISH— A QUARREL—A CHALLENGE—A FIGHT— FOES BECOME FRIENDS.

  Early the following morning we were on our feet, and having partaken a slight repast, we mounted and set off toward Mount Hood. The traveling was now good, being over a rolling prairie, which, as we neared this collossal crection of nature, gradually became more and more level, so that our horses being refreshed and full of fire, our speed was all that could be desired even by the most impatient. Before noon we reached the base of Mount Hood; and if I had thought it sublime at a distance, I now felt, as it were, its sublimity in an awful degree. Up, up, up it rose, until my eyes became strained to trace its glistening outline in the clear, blue ether. Its base surrounded with sand, dead trees, and broken rocks, which had accumulated there, perhaps, by the torrents of ages, as they rushed and roared down its jagged sides. For a considerable distance above the plain, it was well timbered; then came a long stretch of green grass; then a long barren spot; and then commenced the snow and ice, which rose far beyond the ordinary hight of the clouds—the whole combined, forming a spectacle of which the pen can convey no adequate idea. To the right and left stretched away the Cascades, which, stupendous of themselves, seemed as molehills in compare with Mount Hood. Far to the south rose the lofty peak of Mount Jefferson, and as far to the north, on the other side of the Columbia, that of Mount St. Helens. Having gazed upon the scene to my satisfaction, I turned my horse to the right, and began my ascent up a valley, formed by the partial meeting of two hills, and down the very bed of which roared a sparkling streamlet. The farther I ascended, the more wild the scene, the more precipitous and dangerous the path. In fact, on three occasions we were obliged to dismount an
d lead our horses for a considerable distance, and once our steps had to be retraced for half a mile, in order to pass around a frightful chasm. Near the summit of the ridge we came upon a fine spring, and an abundance of grass. Here we encamped for the night, during which I slept soundly. The following day was cold and stormy, with sleet and snow. This may surprise the reader, who bears in mind that it was now June; but snow-storms on the mountains are not regulated altogether by the seasons, and are frequently known to occur in one part of the country, while in another, not ten miles distant, the heat may be excessive. As all are aware, the higher we ascend, the colder the atmosphere; and on many high mountains in southern climes, there may be all kinds of temperatures from the torrid to the frigid— from the valley of dates, figs and oranges, to the peaks of never-melting ice and snow—and this within the distance of five or ten miles. Ere we raised our camp, I shot a mountain goat, being the first game we had killed since the buck of unfavorable memory. Of this we prepared our breakfast, and also put a few choice pieces in our "possibles," leaving the balance to the wolves, which, in justice to the appreciation they showed thereof, I must say, was nothing but a pile of shining bones, ere we were fairly out of sight. I now consulted an excellent map, which I had procured from one of the emigrants, and referring to my compass, laid my course a little north of east, so as to strike the Dalles of Columbia, and thus the most traveled route to and from Oregon City. The day, as I have said, being stormy, and our route lying over a wild, bleak country, served not a little to depress the spirits of both Teddy and myself. Nothing of consequence occurred through the day to distract our thoughts from their gloomy channel, and but little was said by either. By riding hard, we gained the Dalles that night, and encamped on the banks of the Columbia. Eager to arrive at Fort Hall, we again pushed ahead on the succeeding day, and following up the Columbia, reached Fort Walla-Walla on the third from our quitting the Dalles, without any events worthy of particular note. This fortress, constructed on the plan of Fort Laramie, described in "Prairie Flower," I shall pass without notice, other than to say, it contained a small garrison of resolute and daring adventurers, or rather mountaineers and their squaw wives, who preferred passing their lives here in comparative case, at good wages, to the privations and perils of trapping in the wilderness. Here I found a number of hardy fellows, who had lately "come in,"—preparing to set off again for the Blue Mountains—some to hunt for game in the forests, and others to trap in the streams. Here were also several friendly Indians (friendly through fear of the whites), the usual number of traders, peddlers, one or two land speculators and fur company agents, and one French voyageur — all more or less engaged in drinking, trafficking, and, gambling, the usual routine of a gathering of this kind. Thinking it possible to raise a party here, I made a proposition to several, but found all had prior engagements. I next made some inquiries concerning Black George, and learned, much to my satisfaction, that he had been seen quite recently on the Blue Mountains, and that in all probability I should find him at Fort Bois, or Fort Hall, as he was then slowly taking his way eastward. "If you desire an excellent guide," said an agent to me, "let me recommend to you Pierre Boreaux; who, though somewhat eccentric at times, you will find most faithful in the discharge of his duty. I have tried him, sir, and know." "Just what I desire, exactly," I replied. "Come, then," he said; and taking me aside, he presented me to the individual in question, who was none other than the French voyageur previously mentioned. He was a small, dapper personage, very neat in his appearance, with a keen, restless black eye, and a physiognomy more inclined to merriment than melancholy. His age was about forty, though he ever took pains to appear much younger. His penchant was for the wild and daring; and never was he so well contented, as when engaged in some perilous enterprise. This taken in connection with his jovial turn of mind, may at first seem parodoxical; but it must be remembered, that most persons incline less to their likes than their opposites; and that the humorist is the man who seldom smiles, while the man of gravest sayings may be literally a laughing philosopher. He was much addicted, too, to taking snuff, of which he always managed to have a good stock on hand, so that his silver box and handkerchief were in requisition on almost all occasions. He spoke with great volubility, in broken English, generally interlarded with French, accompanied with all the peculiar shrugs and gesticulations of his countrymen. He was, in short, a serio-comical, singular being of whom I can convey no better idea than to let him speak and act for himself. "Ah, Monsieur," he said in reply to my salutation, taking a huge pinch of snuff the while and bowing very politely; "ver moche happe make you acquaintones, Will you'ave von tam — vot you call him— happeness, eh? — to take von leetle — I forget him—so—(putting his thumb and finger together, to indicate a pinch), avec moi, eh?" "Thank you," I returned, "I never use the article in that shape." "Ver sorre hear him. Vous remember le grand Empereur Napoleone, eh?" "Ay." "Ah! von plus great sheneral him He take snoof, eh? Vell, you speak now, you — vot you call him — bussiness, eh?" "I wish to engage you," I replied, "to go on a journey full of peril, in the capacity of a guide." "Ou allez-vous?" "How?" "Ah, pardonnez-moi! I say, vere you go?" "To Mexico, perhaps." "Oui, Monsieur. I shall be ver moche delight, I certainment assure you. Ven you go, eh?" "I leave here, en route for Fort Hall at daylight to-morrow." Here the Frenchman took one or two hasty pinches of his favorite, and closing his box, said: "Von leetle absence, Monsieur. I sall 'ave von ver moche pleasure;" and off he skipped, as gay as a lark, to prepare himself for the journey. At daylight on the succeeding morning, the Frenchman was at his post, well mounted on a full blooded Indian pony, armed to the teeth, and really looking quite the warrior. Three minutes later we had all passed the gate and were speeding away. This was the first meeting between Teddy and Pierre, and I soon became aware it was anything but a pleasant one, particularly, on the part of Teddy, who cast many a furtive glance upon the other, expressive of dislike. What this arose from -- whether from jealousy, national prejudice, or contempt for the inferior proportions of Pierre — I was at a loss to determine. Never before had I seen animosity to a fellow traveler so strongly depicted on the features of the faithful Teddy. It might be he fancied the Frenchman of equal grade with himself, and was jealous of his supplanting him in my favor, and this seemed the most probable of the three suggested causes. Pierre, however, showed no ill will to the Irishman, but merely returned his glances with a supercillious look, as though he considered him his inferior. But he could not long remain silent; and so, after riding on briskly for a short distance, he turned to Teddy, and with a mischievous twinkle in his small black eye, said, with much suavity: "Parlez vous Français?" "Spake it in Inglish, ye spalpeen! and thin a gintleman can answer yees," replied Teddy, reddening with vexation. "If it's frog language ye's jabbering, sure it's not mesilf as wants to know what ye says, now." "Que voulez-vous, Monsieur?" inquired the Frenchman, looking slyly at me with a significant shrug, and secretly enjoying the discomfiture of Teddy. "Quack, quack, quack, kither hoben," rejoined Teddy, fiercely. "Sure, now, and is it that ye can understand yourself, ye tief! It's maybe smart, now, ye's afther thinking yourself, by token ye can say things I don't know the maaning of. And so ye is smart, barring the foolish part, which comprehinds the whole of yees. Troth! can ye fight, Misther Frogeater? Come, now, that's Inglish; and by St. Pathrick's bones! I'll wager ye're too cowardly to understand it." "Come, come, Teddy," I said, "you are getting personal. I can allow no quarreling." "Och! there's no danger, your honor," returned Teddy, turning upon Pierre a withering look of contempt. "It's not inny frog-eater as is going to fight his betthers; and sure it's not Teddy O'Lagherty as can fight alone, jist." Meantime there had been a quiet, half smile resting on the features of the Frenchman, as though he was secretly enjoying a fine joke. Even the abusive language of the excited Irishman did not appear to disturb his equanimity in the least. There he sat, as cool and apparently as indifferent as if nothing derogatory to his fighting propensities had been uttered, or at leas
t understood by him. I was beginning, in fact, to think the latter was the case, or else that Teddy was more than half right in calling him a coward, when I became struck with a peculiar expression, which suddenly swept over his bro nzed features, and was superseded by the same quiet smile — as we sometimes at noon-day see a cloud flit over a bright landscape, shading it for an instant only. Suddenly Pierre reined his pony close along side of Teddy, and in a very bland voice, as if begging a favor, said: "Monsieur, you say someting 'bout fight, ch? Sare, I sall 'ave le plus grande delight to soot you with un — vot you call him — peestole, eh?" "The divil ye will, now?" replied Teddy, with a comical look of surprise. "Sure, thin, an' it's mesilf that 'ud like to be doing the same by you, and ye was wort the powther it 'ud cost." "Sare," returned the Frenchman with dignity, "in my countre, ven gentilshommes go for kill, dey nevare count de cost. I soot you—I cut you troat—I sharge you noting." "Well, be jabers! since ye've got your foul tongue into Inglish, and be — to yees! I'll do the same for your dirthy self," retorted Teddy; "for it's not Teddy O'Lagherty as 'll be behind aven a nager in liberalithies of that sort, now." "You are both too liberal of your valor by half," I rejoined, laughing at what I thought would merely end in words. But I was soon convinced of my error; for scarcely had the expression left my lips, when the Frenchman. sprang from his pony, and strking his hand on his pistols, exclaimed: "Je l'attaquerai: I vill 'ave at you, Monsieur, ven you do me von leetle honoor, sare." "It's not long you'll have to wait thin," cried Teddy; and before I could interfere— or in fact was fully aware of what was taking place — he had dismounted and drawn a pistol. "Tin paces, ye blaggard!" he cried; "and may howly Mary be marciful to yees!" "Hold!" I shouted. "Rash men, what are you about? I forbid —" Here I was interrupted by the reports of two pistols, followed by a stifled cry of pain from Pierre, who instantly dropped his weapon, and placed his hand to his shoulder. The next moment I was on my feet, and rushing to his assistance, accompanied by Teddy, whose features, instead of anger, now exhibited a look of commiseration. "Are you hurt, Pierre?" I inquired, as I gained his side. "Ver leetle scratch," replied the Frenchman, taking away his hand covered with blood. I instantly tore away his garments, and ascertained that the ball of Teddy had passed quite through the fleshy part of his arm near the shoulder, but without breaking a bone or severing an artery." "A lucky escape, Pierre," I said. He merely shrugged his shoulders, and coolly proceeded to take snuff, with an indifference that surprised me. When he had done, he turned to Teddy with: "Vill you 'ave von more — vot you call him — le plus grand satisfactione, eh?" "Sure, and it's mesilf as is not over parthicular inny ways. If ye's satisfied, I'm contint — or conthrawise, as plases ye most." "Vell, then, suppose we shake hand, eh?" rejoined Pierre. "I soot you—you soot me. Ve'ave both satisfactione, eh?" and the next moment these two singular beings were pleasantly engaged in complimenting each other on his bravery. O, curious human nature! From that moment Pierre Boreaux and Teddy O'Lagherty were sworn friends for life—non did I ever hear an angry word pass between them afterward.