tances.

But many a man who would have stood within a home dismantled, strong in
his passion and design of vengeance, has had the firmness of his
nature conquered by the razing of an air-built castle. When the log-hut
received them for the second time, Martin laid down upon the ground, and
wept aloud.

'Lord love you, sir!' cried Mr Tapley, in great terror; 'Don't do that!
Don't do that, sir! Anything but that! It never helped man, woman, or
child, over the lowest fence yet, sir, and it never will. Besides its
being of no use to you, it's worse than of no use to me, for the least
sound of it will knock me flat down. I can't stand up agin it, sir.
Anything but that!'

There is no doubt he spoke the truth, for the extraordinary alarm with
which he looked at Martin as he paused upon his knees before the chest,
in the act of unlocking it, to say these words, sufficiently confirmed
him.

'I ask your forgiveness a thousand times, my dear fellow,' said Martin.
'I couldn't have helped it, if death had been the penalty.'

'Ask my forgiveness!' said Mark, with his accustomed cheerfulness, as he
proceeded to unpack the chest. 'The head partner a-asking forgiveness of
Co., eh? There must be something wrong in the firm when that happens. I
must have the books inspected and the accounts gone over immediate. Here
we are. Everything in its proper place. Here's the salt pork. Here's the
biscuit. Here's the whiskey. Uncommon good it smells too. Here's the
tin pot. This tin pot's a small fortun' in itself! Here's the blankets.
Here's the axe. Who says we ain't got a first-rate fit out? I feel as if
I was a cadet gone out to Indy, and my noble father was chairman of the
Board of Directors. Now, when I've got some water from the stream afore
the door and mixed the grog,' cried Mark, running out to suit the action
to the word, 'there's a supper ready, comprising every delicacy of
the season. Here we are, sir, all complete. For what we are going to
receive, et cetrer. Lord bless you, sir, it's very like a gipsy party!'

It was impossible not to take heart, in the company of such a man as
this. Martin sat upon the ground beside the box; took out his knife; and
ate and drank sturdily.

'Now you see,' said Mark, when they had made a hearty meal; 'with your
knife and mine, I sticks this blanket right afore the door. Or where, in
a state of high civilization, the door would be. And very neat it looks.
Then I stops the aperture below, by pu