of the legs to deposit in it a quantity of flour, that done, he tied it tightly above; the other leg was devoted to tea, sugar, and tobacco. "Let me see," he said, thoughtfully, tapping the ashes from his pipe, "we have tobacco, flour, tea, sugar, powder, shot, bullets, and blankets; there is only one thing requisite to render us disgustingly rich—a bottle of rum, Slinger, and we should be rolling in wealth.
"Indeed it would be a comfortable addition," Slinger answered.
Dodge smiled pleasantly as he removed a turf from one side of his chimney, and thrusting his arm into the aperture drew forth several black bottles. One was labelled "laudanum—poison," another "the cattle medicine," another "poison for wild dogs." Selecting the latter, the cork was drawn, and after drinking to the success of their expedition, Dodge tendered a portion of the "poison" to his visitors, who partook of the same, found it marvellously like rum to the taste, and found no ill effects from their libations. The remainder in the bottle was then carefully wrapped in a blanket to be taken with them, and the rest replaced in the chimney.
"There is nothing like preparing for the worst," said Dodge.— "A man does not like drinking freely from a bottle labelled 'poison' although the stuff in it may smell like rum. I wish education was more general. Now if the black protectors had taught the Darkeys to read they would be more careful how they emptied my poison bottles:—as it is, the rascals somehow scent 'em out, and not having the fear of death before their eyes, they get dead drunk on their contents."
Every thing being arranged for an early move on the morrow, the visitors had leisure to admire the domestic arrangements of their host. The great box, which occupied so conspicuous a position in the hut, served as a table, chest of
