jist as I had taken the sleeve of my coat and given my hat a
rub over with it, (a good hat will carry off an old suit of clothes any
time, but a new suit of clothes will never carry off an old hat, so I
likes to keep my hat in good order in a general way). Well, jist as I
had done, in walks the porter's first leftenant; and sais he, 'Mr. Tact
will see you, Sir.'

"'He come plaguy near not seein' of me, then,' sais I; 'for I had jist
commenced makin' tracks as you come in. The next time he sends for me,
tell him not to send till he is ready, will you? For it's a rule o' mine
to tag arter no man.'

"The critter jist stopped short, and began to see whether that spelt
treason or no. He never heerd freedom o' speech afore, that feller, I
guess, unless it was somebody a jawin' of him, up hill and down dale; so
sais I, 'Lead off, my old 'coon, and I will foller you, and no mistake,
if you blaze the line well.'

"So he led me up stairs, opened a door, and 'nounced me; and there was
Mr. Tact, sittin' at a large table, all alone.

"'How do you do, Mr. Slick,' says he. 'I am very glad to see you. Pray
be seated.' He really was a very gentlemanlike man, was Squire Tact,
that's a fact. Sorry I kept you waitin' so long,' sais he, 'but the
Turkish Ambassador was here at the time, and I was compelled to wait
until he went. I sent for you, Sir, a-hem!' and he rubbed his hand
acrost his mouth, and looked' up at the cornish, and said, 'I sent for
you, Sir, ahem!'--(thinks I, I see now. All you will say for half an
hour is only throw'd up for a brush fence, to lay down behind to take
aim through; and arter that, the first shot is the one that's aimed at
the bird), 'to explain to you about this African Slave Treaty,' said he.
'Your government don't seem to comprehend me in reference to this Right
of Sarch. Lookin' a man in the face, to see he is the right man, and
sarchin' his pockets, are two very different things. You take, don't
you?'

"'I'm up to snuff, Sir,' sais I, 'and no mistake.' I know'd well enough
that warn't what he sent for me for, by the way he humm'd and hawed when
he began.

"'Taking up a trunk, as every hotel-keeper does and has a right to
do, and examinin' the name on the brass plate to the eend on't, is one
thing; forcin' the lock and ransackin' the contents, is another. One is
precaution, the other is burglary.'

"'It tante burglary,' sais I, 'unless the lodger sleeps in his trunk.
It's only--'

"'Well,' say