18 WARWICK WOODLANDS. 



losing all my manners ! this is Frank Forester, whom you 

 have heard me talk about so often ! He dropped down here 

 out of the moon, Tom, I believe ! at least I thought about as 

 much of seeing the man in the moon, as of meeting him in 

 this wooden country but here he is, as you see, come all the 

 way to take a look at the natives: And so, you see, as you're 

 about the greatest curiosity I know of in these parts, I brought 

 him straight up here to take a peep ! Look at him, Frank 

 look at him well '! Now, did you ever see, in all your life, so 

 extraordinary an old devil? and yet, Frank, which no man 

 could possibly believe, the old fat animal has some good points 

 about him he can walk some / shoot, as he says, first best ! 

 and drink good Lord, how he can drink !" 



u And that reminds me," exclaimed Tom, who with a ludi- 

 crous mixture of pleasure, bashfulness, and mock anger, had 

 been listening to what he evidently deemed a high encomium ; 

 " that we hav'nt drinked yet ; have you quit drink, Archer, 

 since I was to York ? What'll you take, Mr. Forester ? Gin 1 

 yes, I have got some prime gin ! You never sent me up them 

 groceries though, Archer ; well, then, here's luck ! What, 

 Yorkshire, is that you ? I should ha' thought now, Archer, 

 you'd have cleared that lazy Injun out afore this time !'' 



" Whoy, measter Draa what 'na loike's that kind o'talk ? 

 coom coom now, where'Il Ay tak t' things tull ?" 



" Put Mr. Forester's box in the bed-room off the parlor mine 

 up stairs, as usual," cried Archer. " Look sharp and get the 

 traps out. Now, Tom, I suppose you have got no supper 

 for us ?" 



" Cooper, Cooper ! you snooping little devil," yelled Tom, 

 addressing his second hope, a fine dark-eyed, bright-looking lad 

 of ten or twelve years ; " Don't you see Mr. Archer's come ? 

 away with you and light the parlor fire, look smart now, or I'll 

 cure you! Supper you're always eat! eat! eat! or, drink! 

 drink! drunk J Yes I supper; we've got pork] and chick- 

 ens " 



" Oh ! d n your pork," said I, " salt as the ocean I sup- 

 pose !'' " And double d n your chickens," chimed in Harry, 

 " old superannuated cocks which must be caught now, and then 

 beheaded, and then soused into hot water to fetch off the feath- 

 ers ; and save you lazy devils the trouble of picking them. No, 

 no, Tom ! get us some fresh meat for to-morrow ; and for to- 

 night let us have some hot potatoes, and some bread and but- 



