wed me along the road till I got quite down
into the cultivated country."

"The devil he did!"

"How did you know he was following you?" exclaimed Frank and the
Commodore, almost in a breath.

"Did you see him?"

"Not I--but I heard him howl half a dozen times, and each time nearer
than before. When I got out of the hills he was not six hundred yards
behind me."

"Pleasant, that! Were you armed? What did you do?"

"It was not really so unpleasant, after all--for I knew that he would
not attack me at that season of the year. I had my pistols in my
holsters; and for the rest, I jogged steadily along, taking care to keep
my nag in good wind for a spirt, if it should be needed. I knew that for
three or four miles I could outrun him, if it should come to the worst,
though in the end a wolf can run down the fastest horse; and, as every
mile brought me nearer to the settlement, I did not care much about it.
Had it been winter, when the brutes are hard pressed for food, and the
deep snows are against a horse's speed, it would be a very different
thing. Hurrah! here we are! Hurrah! fat Tom! ahoy! a-ho-oy!"

THE SUPPER PARTY

Blithe, loud and hearty was the welcome of fat Tom, when by the clear
view halloa with which Harry drove up to the door at a spanking trot,
the horses stopping willingly at the high well-known stoop, he learned
who were these his nocturnal visitors. There was a slight tinge of
frostiness in the evening air, and a bright blazing fire filled the
whole bar-room with a cheerful merry light, and cast a long stream of
red lustre from the tall windows, and half-open doorway, but in an
instant all that escaped from the last mentioned aperture was totally
obstructed, as if the door had been pushed to, by the huge body of mine
host.

"Why, darn it," he exclaimed, "if that beant Archer! and a hull grist of
boys he's brought along with him, too, any how. How are you, Harry,
who've you got along? It's so etarnal thunderin' dark as I carnt see 'em
no how!"

"Frank and the Commodore, that's all," Archer replied, "and how are you,
old Corporation?"

"Oh! oh! I'm most darned glad as you've brought A---; you might have
left that other critter to home, though, jest as well--we doosn't want
him blowin' out his little hide here; lazin' about, and doin' nothin'
day nor night but eat and grumble; and drink, and drink, as if he'd got
a meal-sack in his little guts. Why, Timothy, how be you?" he
concluded, smiting