having
mingled little with the world, was somewhat unsophisticated, besides
being by nature gentle and unassuming.

Soon after this the man who acted as cook, waiter, and butler to the
mess, entered, and said that Mr Rogan desired to see the accountant
immediately.

"Who am I to say did it?" inquired that gentleman, as he rose to obey
the summons.

"Wouldn't it be a disinterested piece of kindness if you were to say it
was yourself?" suggested the doctor.

"Perhaps it would, but I won't," replied the accountant, as he made his
exit.

In about half an hour Mr Rogan and the accountant re-entered the
apartment. The former had quite regained his composure. He was
naturally amiable; which happy disposition was indicated by a habitually
cheerful look and smile.

"Now, gentlemen," said he, "I find that this practical joke was not
intended for me, and therefore look upon it as an unlucky accident; but
I cannot too strongly express my dislike to practical jokes of all
kinds. I have seen great evil, and some bloodshed, result from
practical jokes; and I think that, being a sufferer in consequence of
your fondness for them, I have a right to beg that you will abstain from
such doings in future--at least from such jokes as involve risk to those
who do not choose to enter into them."

Having given vent to this speech, Mr Rogan left his volatile friends to
digest it at their leisure.

"Serves us right," said the skipper, pacing up and down the room in a
repentant frame of mind, with his thumbs hooked into the arm-holes of
his vest.

The doctor said nothing, but breathed hard and smoked vigorously.

While we admit most thoroughly with Mr Rogan that practical jokes are
exceedingly bad, and productive frequently of far more evil than fun, we
feel it our duty, as a faithful delineator of manners, customs, and
character in these regions, to urge in palliation of the offence
committed by the young gentlemen at York Fort, that they had really
about as few amusements and sources of excitement as fall to the lot of
any class of men. They were entirely dependent on their own unaided
exertions, during eight or nine months of the year, for amusement or
recreation of any kind. Their books were few in number, and soon read
through. The desolate wilderness around afforded no incidents to form
subjects of conversation further than the events of a day's shooting,
which, being nearly similar every day, soon lost all interest. No