not appear to please him, and from what we could overhear, we found that
he disapproved of the use of cigars at so early an hour in the morning.

"Ah, the divil, smile, will ye, at what I say, but it's poor Harris, of
the thirty-sixth, who had cause to regret it. A finer officer the queen
never had; and yet he would disarrange his nerves by the use of tobacco
at an early hour in the morning, and what was the consequence? Killed at
ten paces by a fellow who hardly ever saw a pistol before. Its truth I'm
spaking, and ye well know it."

The doctor's companions did not pay much attention to his remarks, for
they continued to smoke perfectly unconcerned, and while they were
advancing slowly towards us we could hear the Irish surgeon lecturing
them for their want of generalship.

"It's a pretty mess ye're in now, and the devil thank ye. The young
fellows are on the ground afore us, and that don't look like fear, and
by the same token, they have got their murderous-looking instruments
with them. Bad luck to it, couldn't ye manage somewhat differently than
to want to fight two Americans, who were born wid rifles in their
hands."

Wattles made a reply, but it was too low and indistinct for us to hear,
and the next moment the party were within speaking distance.

The principals raised their caps and then walked one side, while Merriam
and myself shook hands, and then I was introduced to the surgeon, Doctor
Michael O'Haraty, a genuine specimen of an Irish gentleman.

"We arranged the distance yesterday, and there is nothing to be settled
but who shall give the word," Merriam said.

"Don't let that bother your brains, for I'll do that without, the
asking. Ah, it's many a signal I've given, and sometimes they've bin
fatal ones, too," the doctor said.

I agreed to that, and then calling Smith, I desired Merriam to make
choice of the rifle which he liked best. He was some time selecting, but
at length hit upon mine, thus leaving Fred at liberty to use his own
weapon.

"I use the same size balls that you do," I said, selecting one from some
half a dozen that Smith held in his hand.

I carefully loaded Fred's rifle, and offered to assist Merriam, but he
declined; and even when I told him that he had got a third more powder
than was necessary, he did not heed my advice, and perhaps I was glad
that he did not.

"Now, thin," cried the doctor, "do you take hold of this tape line, my
man, and we'll measure off twenty rods in a j