, to whom he
addressed the common interrogatory, "Travelling in these parts, sir?"
and, before time was afforded for a reply to this accost, his eye
recognised the sergeant, upon which, starting from his seat, he made up
to our sturdy friend, and slapping him familiarly on the back, uttered a
chuckling laugh, as he exclaimed:

"Why, Galbraith, is it you, man? To be sure it is! What wind has blown
you up here? Have you been running from red coats, or are you hunting of
Tories, or are you looking for beeves? Who have you got with you here?"

"Wat, it don't consarn you to know what brought us here--it is only your
business to do the best you can for us whilst we are here," replied the
sergeant. "This here gentleman is Mr. Butler, a friend of mine that
wants to get across into Georgia; and trouble enough we've had to find
our way this far, Wat Adair. You've got such an uproarious country, and
such a cursed set of quarrelsome devils in it, that a peaceable man is
clean out of fashion amongst you. We are as wet as muskrats in swimming
the river, and as hungry as wolves in winter."

"And happy," said Butler, "to be at last under the roof of a friend."

"Well, I am glad to see you both," replied Wat. "What put it in my head,
Galbraith, I am sure I can't tell, but I was thinking about you this
very day; said I to myself, I should just like to see Horse Shoe
Robinson, the onconceivable, superfluous, roaring devil! Haw, haw, haw!"

"You were ashamed of your own company, Wat, and wanted to see a decent
man once more," replied Horse Shoe, echoing the laugh.

"Mary Musgrove, bustle, girl," said the woodman, as the maiden entered
the room with her arms loaded with ears of Indian corn, "bustle, mink!
here are two runaways with stomachs like mill stones to grind your corn.
Horse Shoe, get up from that chist, man; I can give you a little drop of
liquor, if you will let me rummage there for it. Marcus, boy, go bring
us in a jug of cool water. Wife, I'm 'stonished you didn't think of
giving our friends something to drink afore."

"I am sure I don't pretend to know friend from foe," returned the dame;
"and it is a bad way to find that out by giving them liquor."

When the boy returned with the water, and the host had helped his guests
to a part of the contents of a flask which had been extracted from the
chest, Butler took occasion to commend the alacrity of the young
servitor.

"This is one of your children, I suppose?"

"A sort