patting
his knee with a kind of angry gesture. And for the first time we
perceived that the legs of both of them were shockingly swollen.

"If we could only meet with the Welsh Indians or a gold mine," resumed
the short man.

"Botheration," exclaimed his irascible companion. "Bother them all--the
Welsh Indians and the Welsh English."

We saw that hunger had made the poor fellows rather quarrelsome, so we
kindly interfered with a tremendous war-whoop. The fat one closed his
eyes and allowed himself to fall down, while his fellow in misfortune
rose up in spite of the state of his legs.

"Come," roared he, "come, ye rascally red devils, do your worst without
marcy, for I am lame and hungry."

There was something noble in his words and pathetic in the I action.
Roche, putting his hand on his shoulder, whispered some Irish words in
his ear, and the poor fellow almost cut a caper. "Faith," he said, "if
you are not a Cork boy you are the devil; but devil or no, for the sake
of the old country, give us something to eat--to me and that poor Welsh
dreamer. I fear your hellish yell has taken the life out of him."

Such was not the case. At the words "something to eat," the fellow
opened his eyes with a stare, and exclaimed--

"The Welsh Indians, by St. David!"

We answered him with a roar of merriment that rather confused him, and
his companion answered--

"Ay! Welsh Indians or Irish Indians, for what I know. Get up, will ye,
ye lump of flesh, and politely tell the gentlemen that we have tasted
nothing for the last three days."

Of course we lost no time in lighting a fire and bringing our horses.
The meat was soon cooked, and it was wonderful to see how quickly it
disappeared in the jaws of our two new friends. We had yet about twelve
pounds of it, and we were entering a country where game would be found
daily, so we did not repine at their most inordinate appetites, but, on
the contrary, encouraged them to continue. When the first pangs of
hunger were a little soothed, they both looked at us with moist and
grateful eyes.

"Och," said the Irishman, "but ye are kind gentlemen, whatever you may
be, to give us so good a meal when perhaps you have no more."

Roche shook him by the hand, "Eat on, fellow," he said, "eat on and
never fear. We will afterwards see what can be done for the legs." As
to the Welshman, he never said a word for a full half hour. He would
look, but could neither speak nor hear, so in