294 THE GREAT NORTH-WEST 



if he was wanting a big block (the land is sold in 

 " blocks "), and mentioned some good land that he knew 

 of. Cornelius said he was game for anything between 

 thirty and sixty thousand acres. I could not repress a 

 grunt of astonishment, which drew his eyes on me with a 

 sharp look. " You was never riz in the States," he said. 



" Are you a Britisher ? " I admitted that I 



was one of that much-abused yet long-suffering race. " I 

 thought so," said the major. " You know, I suppose, what 



a whipping our Washington gave you a hundred 



years ago ? " I replied that I had heard something 

 about it. " Well, I guess that ain't nothin' to the 

 whipping you'll get within these next ten years." I 

 was, of course, sorry to hear this, but ventured to think 

 that a flag that had braved the battle and the breeze 

 for a thousand years might still be found floating over 

 its unhumbled sons for a longer period than ten years. 

 " You've got to clear out of Canada ; that's what you've 

 got to do." I thought this notice to quit, like a great 

 many more, might be disregarded, and remarked that 

 possession was something more than nine points of the 

 law when backed by an armed force. " I tell you, you 

 are going to lose Canada, and you're going to lose Ire- 

 land," reiterated Major Shadley. " I say, boss, have you 

 got any cold pork, and a hollow-toothful of whisky ? " 



Dunford got up and began to lay the table ; mean- 

 while the major talked incessantly to me, and in spite of 

 his brag and big assertions, to say nothing of his down- 

 right lies, the fellow was most amusing, and of imper- 

 turbable good-temper. His mouth was the most pleasant 

 of his features, for the good-natured smile never left it ; 

 and I wondered if he ever used the formidable six-shooters. 

 I ventured to ask. " There's twelve lives there," he said, 

 " for I never miss a shot. I'm none of your blood- 

 letters ; but, by golly, when I'm riz, I shoot free." " You 

 are a dead shot ? " I inquired. " Dead shot ! Why, 

 I've clicked a flea ofl" a doy's nose and never grazed the 



