376 THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE BY LAND. 



by the table with one tremulous hand, and waving 

 the other gracefully towards ourselves, while the 

 ever-beaming smile irradiated his countenance, pro- 

 posed Milton's health in most glowing terms, 

 mnding up his panegyric with a request for three- 

 times-three, and '* He's a jolly good fellow." These 

 were given uproariously— the Hudson's Bay man 

 leading, and Janet bringing in an effective soprano. 



The eloquent Dr. B 1 again rose, and proposed 



the health of the other visitor in similar eulogistic 

 terms, and that was drunk with all the honours. 

 When thanks had been returned by the honoured 

 guests in an appropriate manner, the irrepressible 



Dr. B ^1 rose for the third time, and with grave 



countenance reproached the host for his repre- 

 hensible neglect in omitting to propose the health of 



Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen. Dr. B k 



felt humiliated ; and although urging in extenuation 

 the precipitation with which his friend had pro- 

 posed the other toasts, fally acknowledged the 

 gross disloyalty of which he had been uninten- 

 tionally guilty. He trusted the circumstance 

 might never come to Her Majesty's knowledge ; 

 and he could assure the company that the spark 

 of loyalty never burnt brighter in any breast than 

 his. From his childhood he had been ready — nay, 

 he might say wishful — ^to die for his Queen and 

 country. Animated by that desire, he had gone 

 out with the British army to the Crimea, and now, 

 marching in the van of civilisation in Cariboo, he 

 was ready to die in the cause. 



