onally offensive, as a disregard of one's
national character, is a disrespect to his principles; but as personal
quarrels on such grounds are to be avoided, I have uniformly retorted in
kind, if there was the smallest opening for such retaliation."

"Now, every gentleman in the States repudiates such sentiments as these.
My object in mentioning the subject to you, is to request the favour
of you, to persuade Sam not to be too sensitive on these topics; not
to take offence, where it is not intended; and, above all, rather
to vindicate his nationality by his conduct, than to justify those
aspersions, by his intemperate behaviour. But here he comes; I shall
withdraw and leave you together."

Fortunately, Mr. Slick commenced talking upon a topic, which naturally
led to that to which Mr. Hopewell had wished me to direct his attention.

"Well, Squire," said he, "I am glad too, you are a goin' to England
along with me: we will take a rise out of John Bull, won't we?--We've
hit Blue-nose and Brother Jonathan both pretty considerable tarnation
hard, and John has split his sides with larfter. Let's tickle him now,
by feeling his own short ribs, and see how he will like it; we'll
soon see whose hide is the thickest, hisn or ourn, won't we? Let's see
whether he will say chee, chee, chee, when he gets to the t'other eend
of the gun."

"What is the meaning of that saying?" I asked. "I never heard it
before."

"Why," said he, "when I was a considerable of a grown up saplin of a
boy to Slickville, I used to be a gunnin' for everlastinly amost in our
hickory woods, a shootin' of squirrels with a rifle, and I got amazin'
expart at it. I could take the head off of them chatterin' little imps,
when I got a fair shot at 'em with a ball, at any reasonable distance,
a'most in nine cases out of ten.

"Well, one day I was out as usual, and our Irish help Paddy Burke was
along with me, and every time he see'd me a drawin' of the bead fine
on 'em, he used to say, 'Well, you've an excellent gun entirely, Master
Sam. Oh by Jakers! the squirrel has no chance with that gun, it's an
excellent one entirely.'

"At last I got tired a hearin' of him a jawin' so for ever and a day
about the excellent gun entirely; so, sais I, 'You fool you, do you
think it's the gun that does it _entirely_ as you say; ain't there a
little dust of skill in it? Do you think you could fetch one down?'

"'Oh, it's a capital gun entirely,' said he.

"'Well,' said I,