ts meaning, my friend?"

"Friend, indeed!" was the very natural exclamation of the pedler as he
shrank from the hand of the lawyer, which had been affectionately laid
upon his shoulder. "Friend, indeed! I say, Lawyer Pippin, if it hadn't
been for you, I'd never ha' been in this fix. I'm ruined by you."

"Ruined by me! Pshaw, Bunce, you are a fool. I was your friend all the
time."

"Oh, yes! I can see how. But though you did stop, when they began, yet
you did enough to set them on. That was like a good lawyer, I guess, but
not so much like a friend. Had you been a friend, you could have saved
my property from the beginning."

"Nay, nay, Bunce; you do me wrong. They had sworn against you long ago,
and you know them well enough. The devil himself couldn't stop 'em when
once upon the track. But don't be down in the mouth. I can save you
now."

"Save me!"

"Ay! don't you hear? They're singing the regulation song. Once that
blaze goes down, they'll be after you. It's a wonder they've left you
here so long. Now's your time. You must be off. Fly by the back door,
and leave it to me to get damages for your loss of property."

"You, lawyer? well, I should like to know how you calkilate to do that?"

"I'll tell you. You know my profession."

"I guess I do, pretty much."

"Thus, then--most of these are men of substance; at least they have
enough to turn out a pretty good case each of them--now all you have to
do is to bring suit. I'll do all that, you know, the same as if you did
it yourself. You must lay your damages handsomely, furnish a few
affidavits, put the business entirely in my hands, and--how much is the
value of your goods?"

"Well, I guess they might be worth something over three hundred and
twenty dollars and six shillings, York money."

"Well, give me all the particulars, and I venture to assure you that I
can get five hundred dollars damages at least, and perhaps a thousand.
But of this we can talk more at leisure when you are in safety. Where's
your cart, Bunce?"

"On t'other side of the house--what they've left on it."

"Now, then, while they're busy over the blaze, put your tackle on, hitch
your horse, and take the back track to my clearing; it's but a short
mile and a quarter, and you'll be there in no time. I'll follow in a
little while, and we'll arrange the matter."

"Well, now, lawyer, but I can't--my horse, as you see, having over eat
himself, is struck with the founders and can't budge. I