"wait." After
he had placed the viands on the table, he sat down with the rest. These
backwoodsmen ignored waiters. They passed their plates from hand to
hand, and when anything was wanted by any one he rose to fetch it
himself.

After the plates were cleared away, the tea-kettle was put on the table.
In some parts of the backwoods spirits are (fortunately) so difficult
to procure, that hunters and trappers live for many months without
tasting a drop, and get into the habit of doing entirely without
intoxicating drink of any kind. Robin had no spirits except animal
spirits, but he had plenty of tea. When it was poured out into huge
cups, which might have been styled small slop-basins, and sweetened and
passed round, Robin applied his knuckles to the table to command
silence.

"Friends," said he, "I niver wos much o' a speechifier, but I could
always manage to blurt out my meanin' somehow. Wot I've got to say to
you this day is, I'm thankful to the Almighty for givin' me back my
childer, an' I'm right glad to see ye all under my roof this Noo Year's
day, and so's the wife, _I_ know--ain't ye, Molly, my dear?"

To this appeal Mrs G replied with a hysterical ye-es, and an
application of her apron to the inflamed oysters. Robin continued--

"Well, I'm sorry there ain't nothin' stronger in the fort to give 'ee
than tea, but for my part I find it strong enough to keep up my spirits,
an' yer all heartily welcome to swig buckets-full o' that. There is an
old fiddle in the store. If any o' ye can scrape a tune, we'll have a
dance. If not, why we'll sing and be jolly."

This speech was followed up by another from Obadiah Stiff, who, with a
countenance of the deepest solemnity, requested permission to make a few
brief observations.

"Friends," said he, turning the quid of tobacco which usually graced his
right cheek into his left, "it's not every day a man's got a chance o'--
o' wot I was a-goin' to obsarve is, that men who are so much indebted to
their much-respected host as--as (Nelly happened to sneeze at this
point, and distracted Stiff's attention) as--yes, I guess we ha'nt often
got the chance to chase the redskins, and--and--. In short, without
makin' an onnecessairy phrase about it--I'm happy to say that _I_ can
play the fiddle, so here's luck."

Mr Stiff sat down abruptly and drained his cup at a draught.

"Pr'aps," said Larry, with a twinkle in his eye, "Mister Stiff would
favour the company wi' a s