BOEDER LIFE IN THE WEST. 221 



" Ha I ha ! That's great du tell now, boys, where' d you 

 all cum from ? Good old Eye, hey ?" and in spite of all my 

 efforts to telegraph a warning to him against drinking it, 

 down went a deep draught at once. I felt convinced that the 

 liquor had been drugged, and when the bottle was passed to 

 me, I turned my head towards my friend, and while I pretend- 

 ed to be taking even a longer and deeper potation than that in 

 which the unconscious Yankee indulged, my eye met his, and 

 a look of peculiar significance was exchanged. I moved the 

 muscles of my throat as if swallowing rapidly, though I forced 

 the villainous decoction out of the corners of my mouth. 



I saw that I was closely watched, but I had turned my back 

 upon the faint light of the fire, and thus managed to escape 

 detection in this manoeuvre for although the fellow to whom 

 I returned the bottle, held it before the light for an instant 

 to satisfy himself whether a sufficient quantity had disap- 

 peared to justify the extraordinary length of the suction I 

 had seemingly indulged I had taken care of that, and had 

 smacked my lips with such extraordinary relish, that he 

 turned away with a leer of unmistakable gratification. Vil- 

 lian ! thought I, you missed your aim this time, clear enough ! 



I felt a momentary uneasiness as I saw them now gather 

 about him, from the fear of the possibility that my friend might 

 not have taken the hint fully. Suddenly becoming jovial, I 

 laughed out as they presented the bottle to him. 



" Oh no, boys, it's no use he never drinks ; besides, don't 

 you see how sleepy he is ?" My friend had suddenly grown 

 drowsy, and was leaning his head back against the log wall, 

 with eyes nearly closed. But they seemed determined he 

 should be dosed at any rate, and although he shook his head 

 and drawled out in a half articulate way, that he was too 

 sleepy to drink, they continued to urge upon him to rouse 

 up and " take something." 



I interrupted these hospitable designs, by insisting that 

 they should come and drink with Yankee and myself, assur- 

 ing them with a somewhat roystering manner 



