of a soldier; and I was not
surprised to hear his friends sitting opposite call him General Jackson.

An inkstand, a quill and some paper were placed before him, but he
pushed them aside with his glass of toddy to lift one long fore-finger
and emphasize his talk. He had a resonant, impressive voice, with a
manner gentle and persuasive, like a woman's: and he was speaking of
Aaron Burr, the man whose duel had made such a noise in the newspapers.

[Illustration: He pushed them aside with his glass of toddy to lift one
long fore-finger and emphasize his talk.]

"I disagree with you, Mr. Campbell. You are prejudiced against Mr. Burr
on account of his late unfortunate affair. Even in that case I maintain
every man has a right to honor and satisfaction. But he loves the
Spanish on our southwestern borders no better than I do,--and you know
how I love the Spanish!"

The other man laughed, lounging against the table.

"You can't believe anything ill of Aaron Burr, General."

I might have given attention to what they were saying, since here were
men from Washington, the very fountain of government, if Doctor Chantry
had not made me uneasy. He chose the table at which they were sitting
and placed himself in the seat nearest the fire, with the utmost nicety
about his own comfort. He wiped his horn spectacles, and produced his
own ink and quill and memorandum from a breast pocket. I had begged the
doctor to keep strict account between us, that I might pay back from my
pension whatever he spent on me, and with fine spider-like characters he
was proceeding to debit me with the stage fare, when another quill
barred his entrance to his ink-horn.

He took off his spectacles and glared pink-eyed at the genial gentleman
with sandy upright hair.

"Sir!" he cried, "that is my ink!"

General Jackson, absorbed in talk, did not notice Doctor Chantry, who
half arose and shouted directly at his ear,

"Sir, that is my ink!"

He knocked the interloping quill in the direction of its owner.

The genial sandy gentleman changed countenance in a way to astonish
beholders.

"Have I disputed it, sir?"

"No, sir, but you have dipped into it without asking leave."

"By God, sir, what is a fip'ny-bit's worth of ink?"

"But it's mine, sir!"

"I see, sir; you're a Yankee, sir!"

"I'm not, sir; I'm English--the finest race in the world!"

General Jackson looked him up and down as they rose fronting each other,
and filled the air with da