on him,
without a knife nor nothen. I killed him, I say, anyhow, and so let's
drink!"

"Well, I believe we must wet him," Harry answered, "so get out another
flask of whiskey, Tim; and you Jem and Garry lend me a hand to lift this
fine chap into the wagon. By Jove! but this will make the Teachmans open
their eyes; and now look sharp! You sent the Teachmans word that we were
coming, Tom?"

"Sartin! and they've got breakfast ready long enough before this,
anyways."

With no more of delay, but with lots more of merriment and shouting, on
we drove; and in five minutes' space, just as the sun was rising,
reached the small rude enclosure around two or three log huts, lying
just on the verge of the beautiful clear lake. Two long sharp boats, and
a canoe scooped out of a whole tree, were drawn up on the sandy beach; a
fishing net of many yards in length was drying on the rails; a brace of
large, strong, black and tan foxhounds were lying on the step before the
door; a dozen mongrel geese, with one wing-tipped wild one among them,
were sauntering and gabbling about the narrow yard; and a glorious
white-headed fishing eagle, with a clipped wing, but otherwise at large,
was perched upon the roof hard by the chimney.

At the rattle of our arrival, out came from the larger of the cottages,
three tall rough-looking countrymen to greet us, not one of whom stood
less than six foot in his stockings, while two were several inches
taller.

Great was their wonder, and loud were their congratulations when they
beheld the unexpected prize which we had gained, while on our route; but
little space was given at that time to either; for the coffee, which, by
the way, was poor enough, and the hot cakes and fried perch, which were
capital, and the grilled salt pork, swimming in fat, and the large mealy
potatoes bursting through their brown skins, were ready smoking upon a
rough wooden board, covered, however, by a clean white table cloth,
beside a sparkling fire of wood, which our drive through the brisk
mountain air had rendered by no means unacceptable.

We breakfasted like hungry men and hunters, both rapidly and well; and
before half an hour elapsed, Archer, with Jem and one of our bold hosts,
started away, well provided with powder and ball, and whiskey, and
accompanied by all the hounds, to make a circuit of the western hill, on
the summit of which they expected to be joined by two or three more of
the neighbors, whence they proposed