or was highly amused at his friend's predicament, and, giving
him a sly wink, remarked, "Beer will do as well, Ned, and it is
perfectly harmless, you know."

The Doctor's turn had come, In a still higher stage of excitment,
daddy pounced upon him. "Young man," he thundered, "beer harmless?
'tween you and me, lager beer is the devil's pison, slow but sure.
Don't you believe me?"

"Coax him away, Sorrel Top," said Little Wolf, rousing herself.

"Come, daddy, Miss DeWolf wants us to be off, she says so," said
Sorrel Top, resolutely approaching him.

"Me go! O, no, 'tween you an' me, I must stay and protect the love."
The Doctor was instantly released. His assailant had embarked in a new
enterprise. But Sorrel Top was firm.

"What good are you doing, I should like to know," she said.

"What good be you a doing, you, hussy?" reiterated daddy; don't you
hear mammy blowing the horn; 'tween me an' you, she's short winded.
I'll protect the pet."

"Never mind me, daddy," said the young mistress, now quite revived;
"if you ain't afraid, you had better assist mammy."

She had touched her would-be-protector in a sensitive spot, and he
vehemently ejaculated "me afraid; not I. 'Tween you and me, what
should I be afraid of, I would like to know?"

"Why, of Bloody Jim."

The old man glanced dubiously towards the door, and slid out.

Edward eagerly seized the propitious moment to formerly introduce
himself and companion, to their fair preserver. Mutual explanation
followed, and Little Wolf cordially welcomed our friends to Chimney
Rock. "Father is at the brewery," she said, "he'll be in directly; the
horn is our alarm bell."

"Is there any further danger to be apprehended?" said Edward; "I think
you killed them both."

Little Wolf suddenly changed countenance.

Her beautiful, bewitching face had been half hidden by curls, and
covered with blushes, from the moment her faintness had passed off,
and, but for the twinkle of those mischief-loving brown eyes, and
certain unmistakable movements of her slight figure, she might have
passed for meekness itself. To those, therefore, who were unacquainted
with her peculiarly nervous and impulsive temperament, the change in
her apperance was rather surprising. With one sweep of her plump
little hand, she tossed back the ringlets from her brow, and
frowningly declared she wished she had killed them. "I didn't kill
them, though," she said, "or, at all events, I killed but one; the
ot