ushed up to Archer, and fawned upon him, jumping up with their
forepaws upon his knees, and thrusting their bland smiling faces almost
into his face; as he, nothing loath, nor repelling their caresses,
discoursed most eloquent dog-language to them, until, excited beyond all
measure, old Whino seated himself deliberately on the floor, raised his
nose toward the ceiling, and set up a long, protracted, and most
melancholy howl, which, before it had attained, however, to its grand
climax, was brought to a conclusion by being converted into a sharp and
treble yell! a consummation brought about by a smart application of
Harry's double-thonged four-horse whip, wielded with all the power of
Tom's right arm, and accompanied by a "Git out, now--the whole grist!
Kennel! now, kennel! out with them, Jem, consarn you; out with them, and
yourself, too! out of this, or I'll put the gad about you, you white
Deckerin' nigger you!"

"Come back, when you have put them up, Jem; and mind you don't let them
be where they can get at the setters, or they'll be fighting like the
devil," interposed Archer--"I want to have a chat with you. By-the-by,
Tom, where's Dash--you'd better look out, or the Commodore's dog,
Grouse, will eat him before morning--mine will not quarrel with him, but
Grouse will to a certainty."

"Then for a sartainty I'll shoot Grouse, and wallop Grouse's master, and
that 'ill be two right things done one mornin'; the first would be a
most darned right one, any how, and kind too! for then A--- would be
forced to git himself a good, nice setter dog, and not go shootin' over
a great old fat bustin' pinter, as isn't worth so much as I be to hunt
birds!"

"Ha! ha! ha!" shouted the Commodore, whom nothing can, by any earthly
means, put out of temper, "ha! ha! ha! I should like to see you shoot
Grouse, Tom, for all the store you set by me, you'd get the worst of
that game. You had better take Archer's advice, I can tell you."

"Archer's advice, indeed! it's likely now that I'd have left my nice
little dog to be spiled by your big brutes, now aint it? Come, come,
here's supper."

"Get something to drink, Jem, along with Timothy, and come in when we've
got through supper."

"Yes, sir," replied the knight of the cut-throat; "I've got some news to
tell you, too, Tom, if you'll wait a bit."

"Cuss you, and your news too," responded Tom, "you're sich a thunderin'
liar, there's no knowin' when you do speak truth. We'll not be losin