Page:The Prairie Flower; Or, Adventures In the Far West.djvu/30

 winking at-me. "But I say, Teddy, where are you bound?"

"Bound, is it, ye're asking? Och! I'm not bound at all, at all but frae as the biped of a chap ye calls a toad, that St. Path rick (Missings on his name !) kicked out o' ould Ireland, for a baastly sarpent, an* it was."

"Did St. Patrick wear brogans when he kicked the toad so far?" asked Huntly, gravely.

"Brogans!" cried Teddy, with a comical look of surprise, that any one should be so ignorant: "Brogans, ye spalpeen!—beg pardon! your honor I mane—why he was a saint, a howly saint, ye divil—beg pardon! your honor—and didn't naad the hilp of kivering to kaap the crathurs from biting him."

"O, yes," said Huntly, feigning to re collect; " I remember now, he was a saint; and of course he could kick anybody, or anything, whether bare-footed or shod."

"He could do that same could St. Pathrick," replied the Irishman; " and as asy too, as your honor could be afther ?wollering a paaled praty, barring the shokirig if yees didn't chaw, it hand somely."

"A fellow if infinite jest; I like him much," said Huntly to me, aside, with a smile. " I must secure him eh, Frank?"

"Certainly, by all means," I replied, in the same manner; "for his like we ne'er may see again."

"But if you are not bound, Teddy," continued Huntly, addressing the Irish man, " pray tell me whither you are going?"

"Faith, now, ye've jist axed a question which meself has put to Teddy O'Lagherty more'n fifty times, without gitting a single straight answer."

"Then I suppose you are, like us, on a journey of adventure."

"It's like I may be, for a divil of a thing else me knows about it."

"Would you like to get employment?"

"Would a pig like to ate his supplier, or a nager like to stael?" answered Teddy, promptly.

"How would you like to engage with us now?"

"Troth, I've done many a worse thing, I'm thinking, your honor."

"No doubt of it, Teddy."

"But what d'ye want of me, your hon or? and where to go ?- for I'm liking travel, if it's all the same to yees."

"So much the better, for we are bound on a long journey; " and Charles pro ceeded to explain our intentions, and in what capacity the other would be wanted.

"Och!" cried Teddy, jumping up and cracking his heels with delight, to our great amusement; " it's that same I'd be afther saaking, if ye'd a axed me what I wanted."

"Think you can shoot Indians, eh J Teddy?"

"Shoot, is it? Faith, I can shoot any thing that flies on two legs. Although I sez it myself, what shouldn't, but let me mother for me, I'm the greatest shooter ye iver knew, I is."

"Indeed! I am glad to hear it, Teddy, for I presume we shall have plenty of shoot ing to do. But what did you ever kill, Teddy? "

"Kill, is it? Troth, now, ye're afthei heading me wid your cunning."

"Well, then, what did you shoot?"

"A two-legged bir-r-d, your honor."

"Well, you killed it, of course?"

"Killed it! Agh! now ye're talking. Faith, it wouldn't die. I shot it as pLus as daylight, right fornenst the back- bone of its spine; and would ye belave it, divi) of a shot touched it at all, at all the ujjly baast that it was."

"Well, well, Teddy, I think you will do," said Huntly, laughing; and forthwith he proceeded to close the bargain with the Irishman.

Our trip proved very delightful, and in due time we arrived at Cincinnati, where it was our design to spend at least a day. Il was a beautiful morning, when we rounded the first bend above the city, and beheld the spires of this great western mart glit tering in the sunbeams. The levee w* found lined with boats, and crowded witfa drays, hacks, and merchandise; and every thing bespoke the life and briskness of im mense trade. Taking rooms at the Broad way Hotel, we sauntered forth to view the city, and evening found us well pleased witK our day's ramble.

It was about eleven o'clock on the nighl succeeding our arrival, that, having re turned from a concert, we wer