220 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



something of the same spirit of the wretches who made for- 

 tunes off of the vice of poor George Moreland. When a new 

 picture was to be wrung from their victim, they came to him 

 with a pittance of ready gold in one hand and a brandy bottle 

 in the other ; and as the latter was always the more potent 

 of the two, they made up the difference due in gold, in cheap 

 and villainous brandy. 



Smith, like Moreland, was too lazy to work under the ordi- 

 nary stimulus of money, for which he never could be made to 

 care, and when they found out this "beautiful weakness," as 

 the mercenary knaves were in the habit of terming it, they 

 never failed, when he was to speak on a doubtful case where 

 there was much at stake, to have the old man informed of the 

 day and hour, and thus drag him forth, well or ill for go he 

 would, to act as a sort of spiritual brandy bottle upon his 

 adopted son. They knew well that Smith would sooner lose his 

 right arm than make a failure in a legal argument before his 

 beloved and venerated patron. What is still more strange, 

 neither Smith nor the old judge ever suspected this infamous 

 game, although it was regularly practised upon them, until the 

 death of the latter, and was well known to every one about 

 the courts. 



The Judge lived just long enough to bless the son of his 

 adoption and his pride, who had been elected to the Assembly 

 of the Province the very year he came of lawful age. The 

 good man then lay down in peace to die, for now he had seen 

 the fruition of his hope. He left his property divided equally 

 between his two daughters and the adopted son. He was soon 

 followed by his faithful dame, and now the young orphan stood 

 once more alone in the world. Not entirely alone, spiritually, 

 either, for Mattie was still steadfast to her childish affection, 

 and would listen to no suitors that came. To be sure, had she 

 been disposed to coquetry, the indulgence would have been 

 something difficult, for old Saunders became more and more 

 miserly as he grew older, and more watchful of his daughter. 



