134 WARWICK WOODLANDS. 



" A nigger, is it ? darn their black skins ! there was a dozen 

 here jest now, a blockin' up the fire-side, and stinkin' so no white 

 man could come nearst it, till I got an axe-handle, half an hour 

 or so since, and cleared out the heap of them ! Niggers ! they'll 

 be here all of them torights, I warrant ; where you sees Archer, 

 there's never no scarceness of dogs and niggers. But come, 

 walk in, boys ! walk in, anyhow Jem'll be here to rights, and 

 he's worth two niggers any day, though he's black-fleshed, I 

 guess, if one was jest to skin the etarnal creatur." 



Very few minutes passed before they were all drawn up round 

 the fire, Captain Reade and two or three more making room for 

 them, as they pulled up their chairs about the glowing hearth 

 having hung up their coats and capes against the wall. 



" You'll be here best, boys," said Tom, " for a piece the 

 parlor fire's not been lit yet this fall, and it is quite cold nights 

 now but Brower '11 kindle it up agin supper, for you'll be 

 wantin' to eat, all of you, I reckon, you're sich darned everlastin' 

 gormandizers.'' 



" That most undoubtedly we shall," said Frank, " for it's past 

 eight now, and the deuce a mouthful have we put into our heads 

 since twelve." 



" Barrin' the liquor, Frank ! barriii' the liquor now don't 

 lie ! don't lie, boy, so ridic'lous as if I'd known you these six 

 years, and then was a goin' to believe as you'd not drinked since 

 noon !" 



" Why, you old hogshead, you ! who wants you to believe 

 anything of the kind we had one drink at Tom's, your cousin's, 

 when we started, but deuce the drop since." 



" That's just the reason why you're so snarlish, then, I reckon! 

 Your coppers is got bilin', leastwise if they beant all biled out 

 you'd best drink stret away, I guess, afore the bottom of the 

 biler gits left bare for if it does, and it's red hot now, boy, 

 you'll be a blowin' up, like an old steamboat, when you pumps 

 in fresh water." 



" Well, Tom," said Archer, " I do not think it would be a 

 bad move to take a drop of something, and a cracker ; for I 

 suppose we shall not get supper much short of two hours ; and 

 I'm so deuced hungry, that if I don't get something just to take 

 off the edge, I shall not be able to eat when it does come !" 



" I'll make a pitcher of egg nog ; A drinks egg nog, I 



guess, although he's the poorest drinkin' man I ever did see. 

 Now, Brower, look alive the fire's lit, is it ? Well, then, jump 



