the highest of the
neighbouring peaks. Mrs Brown and Hobbs were left in charge of the
_debris_ of luncheon, to the eating up of which they at once devoted
themselves with the utmost avidity as soon as the others were gone.

"Come, this is wot I calls comfortable," said Hobbs; (he spoke huskily,
through an immense mouthful of sandwich.) "Ain't it, Mrs Brown?"

"Humph!" said Mrs Brown.

It is to be remarked that Mrs Brown was out of temper--not that that
was an unusual thing; but she had found the expedition more trying than
she had anticipated, and the torments of mind and body to which Jacky
had subjected her were of an uncommonly irritating nature.

"Wot," continued Hobbs, attacking a cold tongue, "d'you think of the
natives of this 'ere place?"

"Nothink at all," was Mrs Brown's prompt rejoinder.

Hobbs, who was naturally of a jolly, sociable disposition, felt a little
depressed at Mrs Brown's repellent manner; so he changed his mode of
address.

"Try some of this 'ere fowl, Mrs Brown, it's remarkably tender, it is;
just suited to the tender lips of--dear me, Mrs Brown, how improvin'
the mountain hair is to your complexion, if I may wenture to speak of
improvin' that w'ich is perfect already."

"Get along, Hobbs!" said Mrs Brown, affecting to be displeased.

"My dear, I'm gettin' along like a game chicken, perhaps I might say
like Dan, who's got the most uncommon happetite as I ever did see. He's
a fine fellow, Dan is, ain't he, Mrs Brown?"

"Brute," said Mrs Brown; "they're all brutes."

"Ah!" said Hobbs, shaking his head, "strong language, Mrs Brown. But,
admitting that, (merely for the sake of argument, of course), you cannot
deny that they are raither clever brutes."

"I do deny it," retorted Mrs Brown, taking a savage bite out of the leg
of a chicken, as if it represented the whole Celtic race. "Don't they
talk the most arrant stuff?--specially that McAllister, who is forever
speakin' about things that he don't understand, and that nobody else
does!"

"Speak for yourself; ma'am," said Hobbs, drawing himself up with as much
dignity as was compatible with a sitting posture.

"I _do_ speak for myself. Moreover, I speak for _some_ whom I might
name, and who ain't _verra_ far away."

"If, ma'am, you mean that insinivation to apply--"

"I make no insinivations. Hand me that pot of jam--no, the unopened
one."

Hobbs did as he was required with excruciating politeness, and
thereafter took refu