ANIMAL LIFE ABOUT DUNFORD'S FARM 295 



dog." I thought it unnecessary to inquire further par- 

 ticulars of Major Shadley's skill as a marksman. 



Of his skill as a trencher-man I was soon left hi no 

 doubt whatever. He was a long, lanky, thin fellow, and 

 where on earth he found stowage for his food I could not 

 conjecture. He put junks of pork two inches square into 

 his capacious mouth, and seemed to swallow them, like 

 pills, without chewing, helping himself liberally to whisky ; 

 but he was not greedy in the latter respect and knew 

 when he had taken sufficient. The entrance of Tom, Mr. 

 Dunford's eldest son, upset his equanimity ; for Tom took 

 after his mother, who was a lady born to rule ; and as he 

 surveyed the major from head to foot, and foot to head, 

 in no very friendly glances, the latter shuffled about in 

 his seat in a way that reminded me of a lobster in a 

 lobster- pot. I perceived, at once, that the major's six- 

 shooters were simply the lion's skin with which the ass 

 had tried to make himself appear formidable. 



" I 'spose we've got to find you a shakedown," said 

 Tom. "Jest you come along to one of the barns, and 

 leave your pipe and lights here. You ain't going to smoke 

 us out o' our homestead. Come along," and the major 

 went with the meekness of a sheep to the slaughter, and 

 with an appealing look towards Mr. Dunford and the fire, 

 as much as to say, " I should like to sit a little longer." 

 The weather was chilly, I should say ; for autumn was well 

 advanced, and the cold in north Michigan sets in early. 



Next morning I heard Tom at the major again. 

 " You can have a breakfast before you go. Then just 

 you varmish you understand ? Clear off. I ain't 

 a-going to have you loafing about the farm." The major 

 promised that he would make himself scarce without 

 delay ; but he took advantage of Tom's departure for a 

 distant part of the farm to induce Mr. Dunford to let him 

 remain till the midday meal. In the afternoon Mrs. 

 Dunford returned from her visit, and not a quarter of an 

 hour elapsed before the major told me that he saw how 

 the wind blew. " I think I had better be off," he said. 



