BORDER LIFE IN THE WEST. 
221 
" Ha ! lia ! That's great — du tell now, boys, where' d you 
all cum from ? Good old Eye, hey ?" and in spite of all my 
efforts to telegraph a warning to him against drinking it, 
down went a deep draught at once. I felt convinced that the 
liquor had been drugged, and when the bottle was passed to 
me, I turned my head towards my friend, and while I pretend- 
ed to be taking even a longer and deeper potation than that in 
which the unconscious Yankee indulged, my eye met his, and 
a look of peculiar significance was exchanged. I moved the 
muscles of my throat as if swallowing rapidly, though I forced 
the villainous decoction out of the corners of my mouth. 
I saw that I was closely watched, but I had turned my back 
upon the faint light of the fire, and thus managed to escape 
detection in this manoeuvre — for although the fellow to whom 
I returned the bottle, held it before the light for an instant 
to satisfy himself whether a sufficient quantity had disap- 
peared to justify the extraordinary length of the suction I 
had seemingly indulged — I had taken care of that, and had 
smacked my lips with such extraordinary relish, that he 
turned away with a leer of unmistakable gratification. Yil- 
lian ! thought I, you missed your aim this time, clear enough ! 
I felt a momentary uneasiness as I saw them now gather 
about him, from the fear of the possibility that my friend might 
not have taken the hint fully. Suddenly becoming jovial, I 
laughed out as they presented the bottle to him. 
" Oh no, boys, it's no use — he never drinks; besides, don't 
you see how sleepy he is ?" My friend had suddenly grown 
drowsy, and was leaning his head back against the log wall, 
with eyes nearly closed. But they seemed determined he 
should be dosed at any rate, and although he shook his head 
and drawled out in a half articulate way, that he was too 
sleepy to drink, they continued to urge upon him to rouse 
up and " take something." 
I interrupted these hospitable designs, by insisting that 
they should come and drink with Yankee and myself, assur- 
ing them with a somewhat roystering manner — 
