bad whiskey, and a crowd of drunken
chivalry, through whom the Colonel with great difficulty elbowed his way
to the counter, where "mine host" and two assistants were dispensing
"liquid death," at the rate of ten cents a glass, and of ten glasses a
minute.

"Hello, Cunnel, how ar' ye," cried the red-faced liquor-vender, as he
caught sight of my companion, and, relinquishing his lucrative
employment for a moment, took the Colonel's hand, "how ar' ye?"

"Quite well, thank you, Miles," said the Colonel, with a certain
patronizing air, "have you seen my man, Moye?"

"Moye, no! What's up with him?"

"He's run away with my horse, Firefly--I thought he would have made for
this station. At what time does the next train go up?"

"Wal, it's due half arter 'leven, but 'taint gin'rally 'long till nigh
one."

The Colonel was turning to join me at the door, when a well-dressed
young man of very unsteady movements, who was filling a glass at the
counter, and staring at him with a sort of dreamy amazement, stammered
out, "Moye--run--run a--way, zir! that--k--kant be--by G--. I know--him,
zir--he's a--a friend of mine, and--I'm--I'm d----d if he ain't
hon--honest."

"About as honest as the Yankees run," replied the Colonel, "he's a
d----d thief, sir!"

"Look here--here, zir--don't--don't you--you zay any--thing 'gainst--the
Yankees. D----d if--if I aint--one of 'em mezelf--zir," said the fellow
staggering toward the Colonel.

"_I_ don't care _what_ you are; you're drunk."

"You lie--you--you d----d 'ris--'ristocrat," was the reply, as the
inebriated gentleman aimed a blow, with all his unsteady might, at the
Colonel's face.

The South Carolinian stepped quickly aside, and dexterously threw his
foot before the other, who--his blow not meeting the expected
resistance--was unable to recover himself, and fell headlong to the
floor. The planter turned on his heel, and was walking quietly away,
when the sharp report of a pistol sounded through the apartment, and a
ball tore through the top of his boot, and lodged in the wall within two
feet of where I was standing. With a spring, quick and sure as the
tiger's, the Colonel was on the drunken man. Wrenching away the weapon,
he seized the fellow by the neck-tie, and drawing him up to nearly his
full height, dashed him at one throw to the other end of the room. Then
raising the revolver he coolly levelled it to fire!

But a dozen strong men were on him. The pistol was out of his