which lay in the middle of the floor.

"No," cried a voice, appealing apparently from a decision that had been
given, "I won't pay without I see the inside."

They were debating whether the portmanteaus were of buffalo or cow hide.
They had caught sight of them as they were being carried through the
kitchen into the back-room, and had at once seized upon them as good
subjects for a bet. It was time for us to interfere, if we did not wish
to see our trunks ripped open, for the sake of ascertaining the quality
of the leather.

"Sixteen smalls," cried Richards, "that it's deer hide!"

"Done!" thundered half a score voices, with loud peals of laughter.

"It is a bet, then," said my friend; "but let us see what we are betting
about."

"Make way for the gemmen!" cried the men.

"Our portmanteaus!" exclaimed Richards, laughing. "No, certainly, they
are not deer hide. Here is my bet."

A loud hurra followed the payment of the dollar which my friend handed
over; and we now found ourselves in undisputed possession of our
baggage. The next thing to be done was to endeavour to get the room to
ourselves for a few minutes.

"We wish to be left alone for a short time," said I to the help, who was
bustling in and out, and covering the table with innumerable plates of
preserved fruits, cucumbers, beet-root, and suchlike edibles.

I shut the door.

"That is the surest way to have it opened again," said Richards.

He had hardly uttered the words, when, sure enough, the door flew open,
amidst a peal of uproarious laughter.

"Tail!" cried one fellow.

"Head!" shouted another.

"They want another dollar," said Richards. "Well, they must have it, I
suppose. Head!" cried he.

"Lost!" roared the fellows in chorus.

"There is something for you to drink," said my friend, whose wonderful
patience and good-humour was bringing us so fortunately through the
shoals and difficulties of this wild backwoods' life. We now shut the
door, and had time enough to change our wet clothes for dry ones. We
were nearly dressed, when a gentle tapping at the only pane of glass of
which the room window could boast attracted our attention. On looking in
the direction of the sound, we distinguished the amiable features of Mr
Isaac Shifty, who, upon our entering the tavern, had thought proper to
part company.

"Gentlemen," whispered he, removing the remains of an old waistcoat,
which supplied the place of one of the absent panes, and then applyin