306 MISCELLANEOUS. 



young and ambitious, each one anxious to distinguish himself 

 by spilling more blood in his country's cause than his fellow, 

 they are as industrious as though laying up stores of human 

 gore for winter use. They have an appetite like a boy who 

 has just got home from school, or like a true sportsman who 

 has been shooting ducks all day and hasn't killed any. This 

 little cuss is very familiar on short acquaintance. In. fact, he 

 don't wait for an introduction at all. As soon as he meets 

 you he pounces upon you and bores for oil. 



His body is made of India-rubber, Goodyear's patent, so 

 that it expands to any size desired, and it is put together in 

 sections like a telescope, so that it will pull out to hold all the 

 blood he can get. He can stand more blood without crying 

 " nuff," than any bruiser in the prize ring. 



I concluded the other day to go trout fishing. I went, 

 and I shall never forget that day's fishing. A friend had 

 given me a prescription for a wash .that he said would keep 

 them off the mosquitoes I mean, not the trout. I went to 

 the drug store and got a bottle of the mixture. It was oil of 

 tar, oil of pennyroyal, oil of cedar and castor oil. With this 

 vile decoction I calsomined my countenance until I resembled 

 a cross between a Malay negro and a Digger Indian. "In 

 this coat of mail," said I, "I can defy the blood-thirsty 

 cannibals. ' ' 



