146 WARWICK WOODLANDS. 



fore-paws upon his knees, and thrusting their bland smil- 

 ing faces almost into his face; as he, nothing loath, nor 

 repelling their caresses, discoursed most eloquent dog- 

 language to them, until, excited beyond all measure, old 

 Whino seated himself deliberately on the floor, raised his 

 nose toward the ceiling, and set up a long, protracted, and 

 most melancholy howl, which, before it had attained, 

 however, to its grand climax, was brought to a conclusion 

 by being converted into a sharp and treble yell ! a consum- 

 mation brought about by a smart application of Harry's 

 double-thonged four-horse whip, wielded with all the 

 power of Tom's right arm, and accompanied by a "Git 

 out, now — the whole grist! Kennel! now, kennel! out 

 with them, Jem, consam you; out with them, and your- 

 self, too ! out of this, or I'll put the gad about you, you 

 white Deckerin' nigger you !" 



"Come back, when you have put them up, Jem; and 

 mind you don't let them be where they can get at the 

 setters, or they'll be fighting like the devil," interposed 

 Archer — "I want to have a chat with you. By-the-by, 

 Tom, where's Dash — you'd better look out, or the Com- 

 modore's dog, Grouse, will eat him before morning — mine 

 will not quarrel with him, but Grouse will to a certainty." 



"Then for a sartainty I'll shoot Grouse, and wallop 

 Grouse's master, and that 'ill be two right things done one 

 momin'; the first would be a most darned right one, any 



how, and kind too ! for then A would be forced to git 



himself a good, nice setter dog, and not go shootin' over 

 a great old fat bustin' pinter, as isn't worth so much as I 

 be to hunt birds!" 



"Ha! ha! ha!" shouted the Commodore, whom nothing 

 can, by any earthly means, put out of temper, "ha ! ha ! 

 ha! I should like to see you shoot Grouse, Tom, for all 

 the store you set by me, you'd get the worst of that game. 

 You had better take Archer's advice, I can tell you." 



"Archer's advice, indeed! it's likely now that I'd have 

 left my nice little dog to be spiled by your big brutes, 

 now aint it? Come, come, here's supper." 



"Get something to drink, Jem, along with Timothy, and 

 come in when we've got through supper." 



"Yes, sir," replied the knight of the cut-throat ; "I've 

 got some news to tell you, too, Tom, if you'll wait a bit." 



