\varwk:k woodlands. 177 



"That's true, too," answered Harry, pondering. "Are 

 you sure it can be bought, Tom?" 



"I guess 30," was the response. 



"That means, I suppose, that you're perfectly certain 

 of it. Why the devil can't you speak English V' 



"English!" exclaimed Frank; "Good Lord! why don't 

 you ask him why he can't speak Greek? English! Lord! 

 Lord! Lord! Tom Draw and English!" 



"I'll jist tell Archer what he wamts to know, and then 

 see you, my dear little critter, if I doosn't English you 

 some!" replied the old man, waxing wroth. "Well, Archer, 

 to tell heaven's truth, now, I doos know it; but it's an 

 ctarnal all-fired shame of me to be tellin' it, bein' as how 

 I knows it in the way of business like. It's got to bo 

 selled by vandoo* in April. 



"Then, by Jove! I will buy it," said Harry; "and down 

 I'll go to-morrow. But that need not take you away, boys; 

 you can stoy and finish out the week here, and go home 

 in the lanthe; Tom will send you down to Nyack." 



"Sartain," responded Tom ; "but now I'm most darned 

 glad I told you that, Archer. I meant to a told you on't 

 afore, but it clean slipped out of my head; but all's right, 

 now. Hark! hark! don't .you hear, boys? The quails 



hasn't all got together yit — better luck ! Hush, A , and 



you'll hear them callin' — whew-wheet! whew-wheet! whe- 

 whe-whe ;" and the old Turk began to call most scientific- 

 ally; and in ten minutes the birds were answering him 

 from all quarters, through the circular space of Bog- 

 meadow, and through the thorny brake beyond it, and 

 some from a large ragwort field further yet. 



"How is this, Frank — did they scatter so much when 

 they dropped?" asked Harry. 



"Yes; part of them 'lighted in the little bank on this 

 edge, by the spring, you know; and some, a dozen or so, 

 right in the middle of the bog, by the single hickory; 

 and five or six went into the swamp, and a few over it." 



"That's it! that's it! niid they've been nmning to tr.v 

 to get together," said the Commodore. 



"But was too skeart to call, till we'd quit shootin' !" 



*Vendtie. V/hy the French word for a public auction has been 

 adopted throughout the Northern and Eastern States, as applied to 

 a Sheriff's ?ale, deponent saith not. 



