148 WARWICK WOODLANDS. 



other bottle of champagne, Tom? No! Well, then, look 

 sharp, Timothy, and send Jem in." 



And thereupon Jem entered, thumbing his hat assidu- 

 ously, and sat down in the corner, by the window, where 

 he was speedily accommodated with a supply of liquor, 

 enough to temper any quantity of clay. 



"Well, Jem," said Archer, "unbutton your bag now; 

 what's the news?" 



"Well, Mr. Aircher, it ben't no use to tell you on't, with 

 Tom, there, puttin' a body out, and swear in' it's a lie, and 

 dammin' a chap up and down. It ben't no use to tell you, 

 and yet I'd kind o' like to, but then you won't believe a 

 fellow, not one on you I" 



"In course not," answered Forester; and at the same 

 instant Tom struck in likewise — 



"It's a lie, afore you tell it ; it's a lie, cuss you, and you 

 knows it. I'd sooner take a nigger's word than yours, 

 Jem, any how, for the darned niggers will tell the truth 

 when they can't git no good by lyin', but you, you will lie 

 all times ! When the truth would do the best, and you 

 would tell it if you could, you can't help lyin' !" 



"Shut up, you old thief; shut up instantly, and let the 

 man speak, will you ; I can see by his face that he has got 

 something to tell; and as for lying, you beat him at it 

 any day." 



Tom was about to answer, when Harry, who had been 

 eagerly engaged in mixing a huge tumbler-full of strong 

 cold shrub punch, thrust it under his nose, and he, unable 

 to resist the soft seductive odor, seized it incontinently, 

 and neither spoke nor breathed again until the bottom of 

 the rummer was brought parallel to the ceiling; then, 

 with a deep heart-felt sigh, he set it down ; and, with a 

 calm placid smile, exclaimed, "Tell on, Jem." Whereupon 

 that worthy launched into his full tide of narrative, as 

 follows : 



"Well, you sees, Mr. Aircher, I tuk \ip this momin' clean 

 up the old crick side, nigh to Vernon, and then I turned 

 in back of old Squire Vandergriflf's, and druv the moun- 

 tains clear down here till I reached Rocky Hill ; I'd pretty 

 good sport, too, I tell you ; I shot a big gray fox on Round 

 Top, and started a raal rouser of a red one down in the 

 big swamp, in the bottom, and them sluts did keep the 



