THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 373 



aspirants to the vacant post, and who seemed to wait 

 with some impatience for the termination of his 

 harangue. Comparatively speaking, tranquillity and 

 order reigned here, only excepting the noise of the 

 dancers, and the occasional bellowing of some noisy 

 toper stumbling about through the mud, with which 

 the single street of the little town was covered knee- 

 deep. Such interruptions, however, the orator seemed 

 totally to disregard, and he continued in stentorian 

 tones to inform his auditors how he would whip 

 them damned British, whom he hated worse than 

 skunks. This he was setting forth in the clearest pos- 

 sible manner, when the attention of his hearers was in 

 some degree distracted by a loud " Hallo ! " proceed- 

 ing from two boon companions, who, after having 

 for some time floundered about the street, had at 

 last rambled towards the edge of the forest, and now 

 suddenly began to shout violently, and to run as fast 

 as their unsteady condition would allow. Amongst 

 their vociferations, the words, " Stop, you cussed 

 redskin ! " were clearly distinguishable sounds far 

 too interesting not to create a sensation amongst 

 backwoodsmen. A dozen of the orator's audience 

 slipped away, just to see " what was the matter with 

 the d d fools, and why they made such a devil of 

 a row." The example found imitators, and presently 

 not above thirty listeners remained collected round 

 the speaker. Insubordination also broke out in the 

 different corps that were exercising, and a full third 



