e it a comin' through the cracks of the floor above, like a streak of
molasses.

"'Mr. Slick,' sais he, 'this is dreadful. I never saw any thing so bad
before in all this country; but what can't be cured must be endured, I
do suppose. We must only be good-natured and do the best we can, that's
all. An emigrant house is no place to stop at, is it? There is a tin
case,' sais he, 'containin' a cold tongue and some biscuits, in my
portmanter; please to get them out. You must act as butler to-night, if
you please; for I can't eat any thing that old woman touches.'

"So I spreads one of his napkins on the table, and gets out the
eatables, and then he produced a pocket pistol, for he was a sensible
man was the judge, and we made a small check, for there warn't enough
for a feed.

"Arter that, he takes out a night-cap, and fits it on tight, and then
puts on his cloak, and wraps the hood of it close over his head, and
foldin' himself up in it, he went and laid down without ondressin'. The
lawyer took a stretch for it on the bench, with his gig cushions for a
pillar, and I makes up the fire, sits down on the chair, puts my legs up
on the jamb, draws my hat over my eyes, and folds my arms for sleep.

"'But fust and foremost,' sais I, 'aunty, take a drop of the strong
waters: arter goin' the whole hog that way, you must need some,' and I
poured her out a stiff corker into one of her mugs, put some sugar and
hot water to it, and she tossed it off as if she railly did like it.

"'Darn that pig,' said she, 'it is so poor, its back is as sharp as a
knife. It hurt me properly, that's a fact, and has most broke my crupper
bone.' And she put her hand behind her, and moaned piteous.

"'Pig skin,' sais I, 'aunty, is well enough when made into a saddle, but
it ain't over pleasant to ride on bare back that way,' sais I, 'is it?
And them bristles ain't quite so soft as feathers, I do suppose.'

"I thought I should a died a holdin' in of a haw haw that way. Stifling
a larf a'most stifles oneself, that's a fact. I felt sorry for her, too,
but sorrow won't always keep you from larfin', unless you be sorry for
yourself. So as I didn't want to offend her I ups legs agin to the jam,
and shot my eyes and tried to go to sleep.

"Well, I can snooze through most any thin', but I couldn't get much
sleep that night. The pigs kept close to the door, a shovin' agin it
every now and then, to see all was right for a dash in, if the bears
came; and the