t appearance at the
hotel, sharp at seven next morning.

"Do yoh say the gemman'll gib me thirty dollars a munf and cloves ter
boot, and me ridin' behine him all ober the roads on hawseback!" asked
Tobias.

"Yes, I think I can promise those terms," replied the legal go-between.

"Then, yoh say foh me, if he's please foh ter hab me Maguffin, not
Tobias, but Maguffin is his man, and I kin pick him out two lubby
hawses, cheap as a po-ul-caht, and I cahn't say no cheapah. My respecs
and humble expreshun ob gracious apprecherashun ter yoh, Mistah
Kerosene."

The lawyer rushed back to the veranda, and found the colonel and Wilks
still in conversation, and, wonder of wonder, Wilkinson was actually
smoking a cigar, which he occasionally inserted between his lips, and
then held away at arm's length, while he puffed out the smoke in a thin
blue cloud. Wisely, he did not express astonishment at this unheard of
feat of his friend, but informed the colonel that he had seen the
coloured man, whose name was Tobias, but preferred to be called
Maguffin, that he was willing to engage for thirty dollars a month and
his clothes, and that he could put his new master in the way of getting
two suitable horses. "I think, Colonel, you can reckon on his being here
punctually at seven to-morrow."

"I shall nevah cease, Mr. Cohistine, to be sensible of yoah great
kindness to an entiah styangah, suh. Oblige me by smoking anothah cigah,
if they are to yoah liking."

So Corry lit a fresh cigar, and the three paraded the verandah till it
was very late, engaging in all manner of pleasant conversation. When the
stumps were thrown away, the colonel invited the comrades to visit his
rooms for a moment before retiring. Entering his private sitting-room,
he produced a quaintly-shaped but large glass bottle, which he flanked
with three tumblers and a carafe of water. "Help yohselves, gentlemen,"
he said, courteously; "this old Bourbon is good foh countehacting the
effects of the night aiah. Some prefer Monongahela, but good old Bourbon
in modehation cahn't be suhpahssed." The pedestrians filled up, and
bowed to their host as they drank, and the colonel, doing the same,
said, "My thanks to yoh, gentlemen, foh yoah kindness to a styangah--to
yoah good health and ouah futhah pleasant acquaintance!" Then they
severally retired, and the hotel closed for the night.

The next morning Coristine, whose room was just over the main entrance,
was awakened by a