ithout your father you would be nothing at all.

_Myself_. That's true; but I do not think he could be spared from his
regiment. I have heard him say that they could do nothing without him.

_Man_. His regiment! What are you talking about?--what does the child
mean?

_Myself_. What do I mean!--why, that my father is an officer-man at the
barracks yonder, keeping guard over the French prisoners.

_Man_. Oh! then that sap {52} is not your father?

_Myself_. What, the snake? Why, no! Did you think he was?

_Man_. To be sure we did. Didn't you tell me so?

_Myself_. Why, yes; but who would have thought you would have believed
it? It is a tame one. I hunt vipers, and tame them.

_Man_. O--h!

"O--h!" grunted the woman, "that's it, is it?"

The man and woman, who during this conversation had resumed their former
positions within the tent, looked at each other with a queer look of
surprise, as if somewhat disconcerted at what they now heard. They then
entered into discourse with each other in the same strange tongue which
had already puzzled me. At length the man looked me in the face, and
said, somewhat hesitatingly, "So you are not one of them there after
all?"

_Myself_. One of them there? I don't know what you mean.

_Man_. Why, we have been thinking you were a goblin--a devilkin!
However, I see how it is: you are a sap-engro, a chap who catches snakes,
and plays tricks with them! Well, it comes very nearly to the same
thing; and if you please to list with us, and bear us pleasant company,
we shall be glad of you. I'd take my oath upon it, that we might make a
mort of money by you and that sap, and the tricks it could do; and, as
you seem fly to everything, I shouldn't wonder if you would make a prime
hand at telling fortunes.

"I shouldn't wonder," said I.

_Man_. Of course. And you might still be our God Almighty, or at any
rate our clergyman, so you should live in a tilted cart by yourself, and
say prayers to us night and morning--to wifelkin here, and all our
family; there's plenty of us when we are all together: as I said before,
you seem fly, I shouldn't wonder if you could read?

"Oh yes!" said I, "I can read;" and, eager to display my accomplishments,
I took my book out of my pocket, and, opening it at random, proceeded to
read how a certain man, whilst wandering about a certain solitary island,
entered a cave, the mouth of which was overgrown with brushwood, and how
he was