166 A KEALLY FKEE MAK. 



gy, three-cornered figure approached, with a high-crowned 

 tattered hat on, and a scanty but uncultivated red beard, 

 bearing on his shoulder an immensely heavy, small-bored, 

 short-stocked rifle, of a fashion a hundred years since at 

 least I should have judged it so in England. I saw at 

 once that my two companions eyed him with dislike, 

 and that, though they gave him a civil greeting, they 

 would much sooner have met him in broad daylight than 

 at dark, and have been able to have greeted him, than to 

 have endured a nocturnal approach from a fellow against 

 whom they were not prepared. The man came up to 

 me, and held out his hand as usual, which I took, and 

 then relieved him of his rifle, with a desire to look at it. 

 We entered at once into friendly converse, when, on seeing 

 a projection in his coat on either side his hips, I said, 

 " What else have you got there? As I am going to the plains, 

 I do not intend that any man should be better armed than 

 myself." The rover and robber, for such he evidently 

 Was, turned a glance at Messrs Campbell and Powell, 

 when, observing that their dislike of his company had 

 removed them to a little distance, he whispered to me 

 " revolvers," when, on his at the same time lifting his coat, 

 I saw that he had one on either side his belt. " Well," 

 I said, " you beat me to-day, because my fire-arms are at 

 home, but I would wager that even now I beat you in 

 knives." On this he drew a short scalping-knifc from his 

 belt, while at the same time I produced from my shoot 

 ing-jacket pocket a splendid deer- stalking knife, a foot 

 long, or nearly so, with a pointed and trenchant blade that 

 opened on a clasp, so sharp that I could have shaved him 

 with it, and he with glistening eyes confessed "that 

 therein I beat him." 



I then returned to my companions, for the mules had by 



