W AliW K Iv W (KIOl.A.ND.N. (j ( 



hold of it, we may sny good-bye to it altogtlier. There,"' 

 ho continued, alter we had both taken a moderate sip at 

 the superb old Feriutosh, "there, now take your chance 

 at it, and for Heaven's sake do leave a drop for Jem and 

 Gan-y; by George now, you shall not drink it all!" as Tom 

 poured down the third cup full, each being as big as an 

 ordinary beer-glass. "There was above a pint and a 

 half in it when you began, and now there's barely one 

 cup-full between the two of them. An't you ashamed of 

 yourself now, you greedy old devil?" 



"It docs go right, I swon !" was the only reply that 

 could be got out of him. 



"That's more a plaguy sight than the bullets will do, 

 out of your old tower musket; you're so drunk now, I 

 fancy, that you couldn't hold it straight enough to hit 

 a deer at three rods, let alone thirty, which you are so 

 fond of chattering about." 



"Do tell now," replied Tom, "did you, or any other 

 feller, ever see me shoot the worser for a mite of liquor, 

 and as for deer, that's all a no sich thing; there arnt no 

 deer a this side of Duck-seedar's. It's all a lie of Teach- 

 m^n's and that Deckering son of a gun." 



"Holloa ! hold up, Tom — recollect yesterday ! — I thought 

 there had been no cock down by the first bridge there, 

 these six years; why you're getting quite stupid, and a 

 crop.ker too, in your old age." 



"Mayhap I be," he answered rather gnifBy; "mayhap I 

 be, but you won't git no deer to-day, I'll stand drinks for 

 the comp.^ny ; and if we doos start one, I'll lay on my own 

 musket agin your rifle." 



"Well! we'll soon see, for here we are," Harry replied, 

 as after leaving the high-road just at the summit of the 

 Bellevale mountain, he rattled down a very broken rutty 

 bye-road at the rate of at least eight miles an hour, vastly 

 to the discomfiture of our fat host, whose fleshy sides were 

 jolted almost out of their skin by the concussion of the 

 wheels against the many stones and jogs which opposed 

 their progress. 



"Here we are, or at least soon will be. It is but a short 

 hi? If mile through these woods to Teachman's cottage. Is 

 there a gun loaded, Tim? It's ten to one we shall have a 

 partridge fluttering up and treeing here directly; I'll let 

 the dogs out — get away. Flash ! get away, Dan ! you little 



