AN IMPERTURBABLE BLACKSMITH. 203 



" Well, then, I will send it to your forge directly, as I 

 am in a great hurry to go on, and you can do the job out 

 of hand, or ' right away,' as you call it." 



" Guess there's no great hurry in sending the waggon 

 to my location ; t'll do an hour hence." 



" An hour hence ! why, my good man, I tell you I don't 

 want to lose a moment ; so, if you can't do as I desire, 

 I'll patch the waggon up myself till I come to some other 

 place." 



"Wall, guess then there's no harm done, if you find 

 that ' some other place ; ' so good morning." 



"Stay, my friend," I said, laughing, "you are all of you 

 here about the rummest set of chaps I ever came across ; 

 don't you like money ? " 



" Guess I aint hostile to that, no how ; but I must have 

 my dinner first." 



" Dinner !" I rejoined ; " can't you mend my waggon, 

 as it is of moment to me, and dine afterwards ? " 



" Guess not, to-day." 



" Why ? " 



" Killed two Pmirie chicken yesterday, and got them 

 for dinner just now, so must eat them first." 



" Well," I cried, seeing that^ there was no work to be 

 got while a democratic lord was hungry and in knowledge 

 of the possession of something to eat, "my waggon shall 

 be at your forge in an hour," and we parted very 

 good friends. Taking my seat in my ambulance to eat a 

 biscuit and to drink some weak brandy-and-water, I saw 

 a little grassy mound beneath the feet of my men, and 

 under the tree near the fire, on which they kicked and 

 trampled as if it were but a mole-hill ; its length and 

 shape, however, arresting my attention, I asked them 

 what it was ? 



