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302 "You. Hit was in regard to that contested mill-site at the Falls. Listen,"—Ermatinger rose, blew a blast on his bandana, and swelling with pomposity gave a mock recital of a spread-eagle speech he had heard the day before.

"Friends, neighbors, hand Hamerican citizens [through his nose], han hopportunity his now given through this hinsignificant controversy to settle the title hof the whole country hand to hexpel the governmental trespassers from every point and position hof its dominions. This will bring war between the Hunited States and Great Britain, Hireland will revolt, Canada will secede, the monarchs hof the Hindies will throw hoff their slavish yoke, Russia will snap hup Turkey, hand, hin short, the whole world will be revolutionized, hand the balance hof power haltered by the controversy hin relation to this little strip hof land."

Ermatinger paused from his elocutionary effort. To his surprise the doctor did not laugh; he did not even smile, but arose in a nervous way and left the room. Some time after, one of his clerks ran upon him, kneeling in his office.

"I beg your pardon," said Ermatinger, humbly, that evening; "I did not suppose you took the matter so to heart, Doctor."

"The possibility of a war is what distresses me," said the doctor.

The Provisional Government, born at Champoeg and cradled in the primitive State House at Oregon City, developed with the colony. Somebody was known to be in Washington working for a steamboat route across the Panama.

"Hah," said Ermatinger through his nose, "we shall soon be sighing for the Hindian days, the squaws hand