d often did the young men and the maidens of the tribe repair thither,
the first to celebrate the praises of To-ke-ah, and the latter to sing
the virtues of Jo-que-yoh.

Paddock ceased amidst the plaudits of the company.

"He must have been a great fool to starve himself to death," said
Jobson, "when he could have killed himself in a shorter time with his
hatchet, or even by drowning himself in the pool!"

"What a barbarian you are, Jobson!" said Allthings, "every thing is
matter of fact with you. Do be still!"

"Well, but I don't see the common sense," persisted Jobson, "if he was
determined to kill himself, of leaving all the pies and things that they
brought him, and starving himself and getting wet in the bargain, when
he had a shorter way of doing the job!"

"Suppose you go and ask him, Jobson!" said Paddock, smiling; "I don't
know his reasons, if he had any. At all events, I tell the tale as I
heard it, and can't alter it!"

The Count had listened to the story with all his ears, but evidently,
from his imperfect knowledge of the English language, without half
understanding it.

"Pauvre demoiselle! so she did a--a--a--what ye call dat, (making as if
pitching headlong,) a--a--a--"

"Tumble!" ejaculated Jobson.

"_Oui, oui, oui_, toomball, toomball down de--down de _roches--roches_,
pauvre demoiselle! did she se blesser?"

"She went down the torrent, Count, in her canoe and was dashed to
death!" exclaimed little Annie Mapes.

"Oh, oh, pauvre demoiselle!" answered the Count, sorrowfully. "The
lovaire did _courir_ from her--ah--ah--pauvre demoiselle!"

"No, no, Count!" returned Annie impatiently, "her lover did not forsake
her. She thought he was dead, and went in her canoe after his body!"

"Pauvre demoiselle! and did she _trouver_ him?"

"No. She was killed, and her lover had been detained in the chase, and
he came afterwards and found her dead, as Mr. Paddock has just said!"

"_Oui, oui, oui_, me understand, he try to run away and fall down--me
understand--_oui, oui, oui_--me understand."

"_No, no_, Count, you are all wrong; he starved himself to death from
grief for her loss!"

"_Oui, oui_, me understand; he try to run away--fall down--get no food
in de _roches_--but he sing to keep courage up--_oui, oui_, me
understand--bootiful story, bootiful story, Monsieur Paydook! vrai
bootiful indeed! He lay there _long temps_--six, eight, ten day, you
say! and den he sing, sing, sing, to keep courage u