UP STREAM: ON THE RED RIVER. 399 



a peal of laughter which seemed likely to be inextin- 

 guishable. 



" Jared Bundle ! what do you say to that ? 

 Jared Bundle's teapots ! A hurrah for Jared Bundle 

 and the Yankee teapots ! " 



The immovable pedlar was by no means put out 

 of countenance by this discovery. While the back- 

 woodsmen were having their laugh out, he took hold 

 of the teapot, examined it deliberately on all sides, at 

 front and back, inside and out, and then shook his 

 head gravely. When the laughers had exhausted 

 their uproariousness, he cleared his throat and re- 

 sumed. 



" Ah, gentlemen ! or rather ladies and gentlemen ! 

 in our happy land of freedom and enlightenment, the 

 most enlightened country in the world, no one, I am 

 sure, will refuse to hear the poor pedlar's explanation 

 of this singular circumstance. I know you are all 

 most desirous of havin' it explained, and explain it I 

 can and will I am sorry to say there are gentlemen 

 who sell teapots for the southern states which are 

 only meant for the northern ones, and others who 

 sell for the north what is meant for the south. 

 That's how I've been deceived in these teapots, 

 which come from the store of the highly respectable 

 Messrs Knockdown. They are for northern, con- 

 sumption, gentlemen, without the smallest doubt, 

 and you know that many teapots will support the 

 cold of the north, but are worth nothin' when they 



