I70 CANADIAN NIGHTS 



the way from the big bend, did you, you don't say. 

 Well, we will soon settle that all right ; supper 

 will be ready in five minutes. In the meantime 

 don't you think just a little — eh ? yes, I think so, 

 from a purely medical point of view, I should 

 certainly recommend it," and the Doctor left the 

 room, to reappear in a minute preceded by a 

 pleasant tinkling of spoons and glasses. " How ? " 

 said the doctor, and " how " we replied in chorus, 

 replacing our empty goblets on the table, and in a 

 few minutes four hungry individuals were seated 

 round the table, busily engaged in spoiling appe- 

 tites engendered by a long day's ride. 



jSome time after I asked the Doctor, who proved 

 to be not only a most hospitable host but also a 

 most charming and agreeable companion, why he 

 appeared so much astonished and in fact disgusted 

 at our first appearance. " Well," he said, " you 

 must not be offended, you know, but really you 

 did look the most horrid set of scoundrels ; upon 

 my word you were the very roughest-looking 

 crowd I have seen since I came out west. I 

 thought at first that some one of the cattle-boys 

 had met with some accident, broken his leg or 

 something, but when you all stood up, and there 

 was evidently nothing the matter with any of you, 



