ers out; but there was this to be taken into
consideration: the getting his fingers in might be the getting out of
his commerce, which said commerce was the model machine of the Model
Republic's power.

"Mr. President Pierce fully believed that Nicholas of all the Rushas
had got his eye set to the East, notwithstanding he had quite enough
to do in the West; and, though he declared himself moved only by
christian visions, it seemed curious enough that he had not the
slightest objection to raising most un-christian wars. Nicholas was
shrewder than a Connecticut tin pedlar, and more ambitious than a
South Carolina politician, who, ever and anon, is ready to war with
the Britishers, because the _fools_ obstinately refused to admire
slavery. Nicholas had got himself into an interminable fix. Mr.
Pierce, merely to please the youthful democracy, would like to lend
Nick a hand to unfix himself, but the hitherto dormant power of the
nation quickens to action, and says, 'It won't do, Mr. General
Pierce!' Forced to submit, the General consoles himself with the fact
that his friend Nicholas will draw himself into his invulnerable
shell, sing the Te Deums, and trust the fate of war, for a dozen years
or so, to the All-wise Father.

"'Now, Gineral,' said Smooth, addressing himself to Mr. President
Pierce, 'the items are all down!--there will be warm work, depend upon
it!--and seeing how Uncle Sam'll have to scratch in somewhere (just to
make a point or two), Cousin Caleb and me will take the job of doing
all the necessary fighting on both sides the big pond, and getting all
the stray territory required to complete these United States, for
eighty-six million dollars--two and a half per cent. off for ready
money. Might as well let Smooth have the shiners, seeing how me and
Caleb would give security to do the fighting up brown; and. then
somebody was getting the tin out of Uncle Sam's big bag in a fast kind
of way that nobody could explain. Smooth begged Mr. President Pierce
to give the thing a few turns over in his head, and when the problem
came as clear as daylight, send him his figure by the first post.'
With this, Mr. Smooth retired to the National.

CHAPTER XXIV.

MR. PIERCE SENDS SMOOTH DOWN AMONG THE BRITISHERS.

"Mr. Smooth (I write after the style most in fashion), having been
associated with Mr. Pierce, whose Minister in general he was, as has
been set forth in this history, is come to be regarded as a very
dan