266 THE FAT OF THE LAND 



or spread all over me features. Nothing but 

 whiskey and raw beef could ever coax it back ! 

 It's God's mercy if you are not deformed for 

 life, me friend. Such privileges are not to be 

 neglected with impunity. Let me bathe your 

 face with whiskey and put a beef-steak poultice 

 after it, and I'll have you as handsome as a girl 

 in three days." 



" Give me the steak and whiskey inside and 

 I'll feel handsome at once," said Jarvis. 



" Oh, the rashness of youth ! " said Sir Tom. 

 " But I'll not say a word against it. Youth is the 

 greatest luck in the world, and I'll not copper it." 



And then our sporting friend grew reminiscent 

 and told of a time at Limmer's when the marquis 

 and he occupied beds in the same room, not un- 

 like our boys' room only smoky and dingy 

 and poulticed their battered faces with beef, and 

 used usquebaugh inside and outside, after ten 

 friendly rounds. 



" Queensbary's nose never resumed entirely 

 after that night, but mine came back like rubber. 

 Maybe it was the beef maybe it was usque- 

 baugh ; me own preference is in favor of the 

 latter." 



Sir Tom came every day so long as the boys 

 were confined to the place, and each day he was 

 able to develop some new incident connected 

 with the battle which called for applause. After 

 hearing Lars tell his story for the fourth time, 

 he gave him a ten-dollar note, saying : 



