200 TOM draw's visit to pine brook. 



don't hear nothin more of them till noon, or arter. Cuss 

 all sich drunken critters." 



"That's a devilish good one," ansv^ered I; "the deuce a 

 one of you has shaved, or for that matter, washed his face, 

 to the best of my belief ; ancf then, because you tximble out 

 of bed like Hottentots, and rush out, gun in hand, with all 

 the accumulated filth of a hard day's drive, and a long 

 night's sweat, reeking upon you, you abuse a Christian 

 gentleman, who gets up soberly, and dresses himself de- 

 cently — for idleness and what not!" 



"Soberly!" answered Tom; — "Soberly! Jest hear, now 

 Harry, — Soberly ! — jest like as though he hadn't a had his 

 bitters, and blamed hitter bitters, too !" 



"Not a drop, upon honor," I replied; "not a drop 

 this morning." 



"What? — oh! oh! that's the reason, then, why you're so 

 'tarnal cross. Here, landlord, bring us in them cider 

 sperrits — I hamt had only a small taste myself — ^take a 

 drink, Frank, and you'll feel slick as silk torights, I tell 

 you." 



"Thank you, no!" said I, falling foul of the veal cutlets 

 delicately fried in batter, with collops of ham interspersed, 

 for which my worthy host is justly celebrated — "thank you, 

 no! bitters are good things in their way, but not when 

 breakfast treads so close upon the heels of them !" 



"Tak a soop, Measter Frank — tak a soop, sur!" ex- 

 horted Timothy, who was bearing around a salver laden 

 with tumblers, the decanter gracing his better hand. "Tak 

 a soop, thou'lt be all t' betther for't enoo. Measter Draa 

 's i' t' roight o' 't. It's varry good stooff Ay'se oophaud it." 



"I don't doubt that at all, Tim; natheless I'll be excused 

 just now." 



I was soon joined at the table by the fat man and 

 Archer, who were so busily employed in stowing away 

 what Sir Dugald Dalgetty terms provant, that few words 

 passed between us. At length when the furor edendi 

 was partially suppressed : "Now then, John," said Harry, 

 "we are going to be here two days — to-morrow, that is, and 

 to-day — what are we to beat, so as to get ground for both 

 days? Begin with the long meadow, I suppose, and beat 

 the vlies toward the small piece home, and finish here 

 before the door." 



"That's it, I reckon," answered the jolly Dutchman, 



