260 AN EARLY MORNING-CALL. 



judged it prudent to prepare himself by sleep for the 

 fatigues of the morrow's chase. 



" This original," said Mr. Howard, '* prefers yonder 

 fragment of carpet to the best bed in the house. We 

 have only to leave him wood enough to keep up the fire, 

 and he will be as happy as a king. Conie, my friend, let 

 us retire to rest. If you are aroused to-morrow by a 

 Redskin, don't be afraid ; it will only be Monai come, 

 after his custom, to pull you out of bed by your feet." 



At half-past three in the morning, the light of a lamp 

 falling on my half-closed eyelids awoke me with a start. 

 I thought I saw Moiiai before me, when Mr. Howard's 

 voice relieved me from the uncertainty into which I had 

 been thrown by the sight of a man so capriciously at- 

 tired ! 



" Up, up, my friend ! " he cried ; "all is ready ; the 

 coffee is getting cold, and if you don't make haste, Moiiai, 

 who is already seated at table, will leave you neither a 

 cutlet nor a slice of ham for your breakfast. Here is a 

 costume as elegant as mine; dress, and come down." 



The breakfast being finished, and our stomachs warmed 

 by a glass of whisky, we all three sprang into a light 

 sleigh, and in seven hours our horse carried us bravely to 

 a village situated about a couple of miles from our ren- 

 dezvous. 



In an inn, which bore for its sign the head of the im- 

 mortal Washington, but had only one comfortable apart- 

 ment the tabagie, or bar-room we found beds as hard 

 as boards ; but as we were in no position to be fastidious, 

 we threw ourselves upon them, and got what rest we 



