218 WILD SCENES AND SONG-BIRDS. 



of cord-wood, which, left only a narrow alley between them 

 and the hut which they partially obscured. 



It was the usual square pen of logs, with only one room 

 and a wide fire-place, in which now burned a dim blaze. 

 When we sat the trunk down on the side nearest the door, 

 the man commenced talking in what I thought a somewhat 

 insolent tone, about how unnecessary it was for us to be 

 troubled with lugging in all those heavy trunks, when they 

 were perfectly safe on the bank. I very quietly answered 

 that, as the night promised to be stormy, we preferred having 

 our baggage under shelter, and directed him to go back and 

 assist my friends in bringing the remainder in. The fellow 

 went off sulkily, and very &oon he and the Yankee returned, 

 bending under the weight of one of that respectable proficient's 

 mysterious black trunks. My friend had remained behind 

 to guard the rest of the baggage. I felt uneasy that he should 

 be left there in the dark alone, for I knew that he as well as 

 myself was unarmed, and unable to restrain my impatience, 

 I said to him, as coolly as possible, in an undertone 



" See here, my green one. You had better look out for 

 yourself. You are not in old Connecticut now !" 



" Waal now, I guess I will. They don't cheat me out of 

 nothin'!" 



Seeing that the fellow was incorrigible I left him, drag- 

 ging the man of the wood-yard after me, as I hurried back 

 to the side of my friend, fearing vaguely that something might 

 have occurred. I found him, however, walking back and 

 forth, with folded arms, before the baggage, and with an ex- 

 pression of uneasiness that so precisely corresponded with 

 my own feelings as to assure me that there must surely be 

 something wrong one way or another. 



The baggage was now housed as quickly as possible by 

 our united efforts. As my older friend had not yet said any- 

 thing which implied the slightest distrust of our present po- 

 sition and relations, I, as the younger man, was compelled 

 to take it for granted that he saw nothing which would justify 



