nd velvety as the
richest carpet, and I drank of singing, bubbling waters. Many kinds of
berries and nuts, hard to crack, grew in the wild glens of the forest.
I gathered flowers, larger and more beautiful than any I had ever seen,
but they lacked the perfume of German flowers; only the roses were the
same.

Many children did I see, but they had not the rosy cheeks of German
children. And I met the strongest of all beasts on earth and tracked
him to his native lair; and there, in the sacred groves of the Illini,
I worried him sorely, and as David did unto Goliath, so did I unto him;
and sundown come, I slew him. And for three-score days and ten the
smoke of battle scented the balmy air.

The young ladles laughed heartily and said that never before had they
been so delightfully entertained, and they gave me sweets and nice
things to eat, and said they hoped I might stay with them forever and a
day. We exchanged confidences, and they warned me to beware of the
landlord, who had been known to rob people. They advised me to secrete
my money, if perchance I had any. I thanked them kindly, replying that
I had only one dollar in my purse. This was true, but I did not tell
them that I had sewed a large sum in banknotes and some German silver
into my kite's tail when I set out on my journey to the West.

I complimented these charming girls on their good fortune to be in the
service of so generous a gentleman as their landlord seemed to be; for
I saw that they wore very fine dresses and had many jewels. "Why, you
little greenie," said Miss Rose, "he does not pay us high wages." "Oh,
I see, how romantic! how nice!" exclaimed I. "You do as the ladies in
the good old time of chivalry, when knights donned their colors and
sallied forth to battle with lions and tigers. You crave largesse, and
the gentlemen favor you with money and jewels." Then the youngest girl
laughed and said, "Oh, you pore, innicent bairn, and how do yez ken all
this? and how did yez know that Misther Payterson kapes a tiger at all,
at all, begorra!" Another young lady said, "Dutchy, I reckon yore daddy
is a right smart cunning old fox!" "Madame," replied I, indignantly,
"my father is no fox, but a minister of the Gospel." "Oh, this bye is
the son of a praste," screamed the loveliest girl in all Missouri.
"Indade, I misthrusted the little scamp. Och! oh and where is me
brooch? I thought all the time the little divvil was afther something.
Thieves! Murther!" Con