are coming in, and he will have them in
tow in half an hour.'

He looked at me appealingly. I knew what he wanted.

'All right; I suppose I must, but it is an awful bore that a man can't
have a quiet smoke.'

'You're not half a bad fellow,' he replied, smiling. 'I shall get the
ladies to furnish coffee inside the booth. You furnish them intellectual
nourishment in front with dear old Punch and Judy.'

He sent a boy with a bell round the village announcing, 'Punch, and
Judy in front of the Christmas booth beside the church'; and for
three-quarters of an hour I shrieked and sweated in that awful little
pen. But it was almost worth it to hear the shouts of approval and
laughter that greeted my performance. It was cold work standing about,
so that the crowd was quite ready to respond when Punch, after being
duly hanged, came forward and invited all into the booth for the hot
coffee which Judy had ordered.

In they trooped, and Quatre Bras was won.

No sooner were the miners safely engaged with their coffee than I heard
a great noise of bells and of men shouting; and on reaching the street
I saw that the men from the lumber camp were coming in. Two immense
sleighs, decorated with ribbons and spruce boughs, each drawn by a
four-horse team gaily adorned, filled with some fifty men, singing and
shouting with all their might, were coming down the hill road at full
gallop. Round the corner they swung, dashed at full speed across the
bridge and down the street, and pulled up after they had made the
circuit of a block, to the great admiration of the onlookers. Among
others Slavin sauntered up good-naturedly, making himself agreeable to
Sandy and those who were helping to unhitch his team.

'Oh, you need not take trouble with me or my team, Mike Slavin. Batchees
and me and the boys can look after them fine,' said Sandy coolly.

This rejecting of hospitality was perfectly understood by Slavin and by
all.

'Dat's too bad, heh?' said Baptiste wickedly; 'and, Sandy, he's got
good money on his pocket for sure, too.' The boys laughed, and Slavin,
joining in, turned away with Keele and Blaney; but by the look in his
eye I knew he was playing 'Br'er Rabbit,' and lying low.

Mr. Craig just then came up, 'Hello, boys! too late for Punch and Judy,
but just in time for hot coffee and doughnuts.'

'Bon; dat's fuss rate,' said Baptiste heartily; 'where you keep him?'

'Up in the tent next the church there. The miners are all in.'