36 THE HIVE OF THE BEE-HUXTER. 



larly through his haras, and brought him dowu ; thar he 

 sot looking like a sick nigger with the dropsy, or a black 

 bale of cotton turned up on end. It was not a judge- 

 matical shot, and Smith thar," pointing at one of the 

 sleeping hunters, " would say so." 



Hereupon Bob Herring, without any ceremony, 

 seized a long stick, and thrust it into Smith's short ribs, 

 who thus suddenly awakened from a sound sleep, seized 

 his knife, and, looking about him, asked confusedly 

 what was the matter ? 



" Would you," inquired Bob, yery leisurely, " would 

 you — under any carcumstances, shoot an old He in the 

 hams?" 



Smith, yery peremptorily, told his questioner to go 

 where the occupier of the Retreat in summer, is sup- 

 posed to reside through the winter months, and went in- 

 stantly to sleep again. 



Bob continued — " Stranger, the bar — as I haye said, 

 was on his hams, and thar he sot — waiting to whip 

 somebody, and not knowing where to begin ; when the 

 two dogs that followed me came up, and pitched into 

 him like a caying bank — I know'd the result afore the 

 fight began ; Blucher had his whole scalp, ears and all, 

 hanging oyer his nose in a minute, and Tige', was lying 

 some distance from the bar on his back, breathing like 

 a horse with the thumps ; he wiped them both out with 

 one stroke of his left paw, and thar he sot — knowing as 

 well as I did, that he was not obliged to the dogs for 



