Page:The Prairie Flower; Or, Adventures In the Far West.djvu/120



"Bui;, T (I was on the point of speak ing his name) but I hav.j no medicine."

"Divil a- bit difference for that. Ye must be a filler saaing her, if ye's a docthor and can spaak the Latin names they gives, whin physic's short if ounly to comfort the young lady that's dying of grief"

"Well, well, I will go," I said, finding

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myself fully in for it, and my curiosity be ing a good deal excited, also, to see the ladv whom all agreed in describing as


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beautiful.

"Ah! that's a good sowl ye is now!" said the warm, generous-hearted Teddy, who seemed as much interested for the fair stranger, as if she were his own sister. "It's a good sowl ye is, now, to go and sae her! Faith! ye puts me in mind of a young masther I once had voice and nil barring that he was a wee bit bether looking nor you is."

"Indeed! And what was your mas ter's name?"

"Och! I had a pair of 'em. One was Misther Huntly, a lawyer and the other, Misther Leighton, a docthor. It's the docthor ye puts me in mind of now."

"Well, what became of them?"

"Oh! sir," cried Teddy, wiping the tears from his eyes, " they got killed, sir. The divilish, murthering, baastly tiefs of Injins killed and ate 'em. Ochone! ochone!" and he rung his brands at the bare thought, and sobbed for very grief.

"Why, you seem to take it to heart as much as if they were related to you."

"And so would you, an' ye'd a knowed 'em, sir. They was two sich swant youths! Pertict gintlemen, and jist from college, as I heard 'em say mysilf. Ochone! but I'd a died for 'em asy, and no questions axed, an' they'd a towld me to."

"Li'ighton! Leighton!" repeated I, mu singly, 'as if trying to remember where 1 hadf before heard the name. " Leighton! fresh from college, say you? Was the one you term doctor, from Boston?"

''Ah, troth was he!" cried Teddy, jumping up in excitement. " Then ye know him, sir, it may be, by your way of Bpakin^r, jist?"

"I know enough of him," I answered, now fully determined on putting Teddy's friendship to the test.

"Arrah! sir, and what d'ye niaan by- saying the likes of that, now?"

"What do I mean? Why, my meaning is very simple. I know that this fellow you are so fond of lauding, is not a whit better than I am."

"And I maan ye're a dirthy, spalpeen blaggard docthor or no doclhor jist for spaking in that contimptible manner of the finest gintleman as was iver saan and no exceptions made to your dirthy self, that's not worth the snap of me finger! Whoop! ye blaggard! don't be grinning that way at your bethers but jist come out here like a man, ye cowardly tief! and sac- what I'll taach ye! Whoop!"

Here the Irishman jumped up and crack ed his heels, and made several warlike de monstrations with his fists, much to my amusement and satisfaction. The trappers, too, gathered themselves upon their feet, in anticipation of a fight; arid as I show ed no disposition to reply to Teddy, Blach George turned his dark visage to me, and said, grufily :

"Come, young chap, you've got to chaw them words you've jest put travelin, 01 git licked afore you ken say beans."

"What have'l said?" 1 replied, find ing the matter becoming serious, and pro tending to exculpate myself. '' I merely intimated that Mr. Leighton was no better than myself; and what more could I say, when of course I think myself as good as anybody?"

"Yes, it's all very well, boy, for you to talk," returned Black George; " but heyar's what knows a insult from a bea ver, I reckons; and ef you don't chaw them words in less nor two minutes, and own up you aint no equal to him you've spoke aginst, I'll ram some fodder down your gullet you won't swoller easy el 1 don't, I hope I may be dogged for a dirty skunk all my life!" and he ended by shaking his fist rather nearer my face than was agreeable.

"Yes, and now be takin thim bark!" roared Teddy, making preparations to spring upon me, " or I'll turn ye inside out, and shake ye as I used me masther's carpet-bag, that's dead and gone not the bag, but the masther, ye blaggard ye 1 "

1 now found, that to restore myself to the good graces of iny friend