CHAPTEK Xiy. 



At length, howcvcn-, our faith iu the proverbial good sense 

 of the Manager— to say nothing of our belief in Jove's care 

 of wandering beggars— gradually dispelled our anxieties; 

 we smoked and smoked, and slept. But our slumbers were 

 not undisturbed. The owl saw our watch-fire and told 

 other owls, and such an alarming chorus of inquiries fol- 

 h)wed as to "Who? Who? Who-o-o? " we were, that one 

 reckless person, startled from sleep, responded in a very 



improper manner, "None of your business! " It was. 



the general sentiment of the party, although, as we raised 

 on our ell)ows, wide awake, we did not all endorse the 

 emphasis of the phraseology in which it was uttered. 



We settled down to sleep* again, resolved to make a 

 business of it, whoever might question our identity or our 

 riiiht to be there. The fire burned low, and the heavy 

 breathing of tired men in slumber and the occasional snap- 

 pino- of tlie tire, were all the sounds that l)roke the deep 

 stillness of the night in the forest. Suddenly a voice broke 

 out, " Snakes! I felt a snake run across me! " 



"Take your boots off," responded an angry sleeper, 

 whose nap was thus rudely broken—" take your Ijoots off. 

 and you won't feel any snakes." 



" Don't insinuate anything of that sort, my dear fellow, 

 —it's snakes in dead earnest this time." 



