SEEDS AND THE DEVIL. 231 



&quot; It is so alleged in the papers,&quot; I replied, &quot; and 

 you know whatever is stated there must be true.&quot; 



&quot; Yes, yer honor,&quot; he answered, evidently referring 

 in his own mind to a temporary connection of mine 

 with that palladium of freedom. &quot;And sure,&quot; he 

 continued, as he approached cautiously, &quot; and what 

 is he like?&quot; 



&quot; He is described as being forty feet high, spitting 

 fire from his mouth and nostrils, and with huge horns 

 over his eyes.&quot; 



&quot; That s awful intirely ; but there s prophecies in 

 the Good Book that he should be let loose on the 

 earth, but I didn t think it was to be quite yet. 

 Was it far from here that he was T 



&quot; Yes, more than a thousand miles.&quot; 



&quot; Sure and that s pleasant, for it ain t likely he ll 

 get this far.&quot; 



&quot; That is not so certain,&quot; I replied, to lead him 

 on. &quot; He has a habit of going up and down on the 

 earth.&quot; 



&quot; But it would take him a long time to travel that 

 distance.&quot; 



&quot; The devil, if it really was he, could go a thou 

 sand miles in an instant.&quot; 



&quot; Could he, now ? Well, I suppose he don t go by 

 rail, more especially like the one that runs from 



